A couple in their 20s from Groningen province have been jailed for arson, after setting a number of fires in the small town on Winschoten.

Last year, there were dozens of mysterious fires in the town of 18,000 people over a period of several months. Many took place in empty buildings.

The man, aged 26, was jailed for 3.5 years to be followed by detention in a psychiatric prison. He admitted starting 14 fires. The woman, also 26, admitted being involved in 10 fires. She was jailed for four years, 18 months suspended.

The couple were arrested last October. The main suspect came under investigation because he called the emergency services a number of times to report a fire, police said at the time. He also tweeted regularly about the fires, including a photo of his ‘latest buy’, a Zippo lighter.