TWO men have been jailed for a total of nine years following an arson attack on a bottled water plant in Ceredigion.

34-year-old Darryl Kinnear from East London and 22-year-old Peter Silva also from East London were both convicted of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, following a thorough and significant investigation led by Aberystwyth CID for Dyfed-Powys Police.

Both men appeared for sentencing at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, 30 October for their involvement in the deliberate fire that could have put lives at serious risk.

The court heard that at around 10.55pm on 17 June, 2025, emergency services were called to a report of a fire at the Tŷ Nant Water Plant in Bethania.

The fire caused extensive damage to the property, resulting in a financial loss of more than £600,000 for the company.

It was established early on that the blaze had been started deliberately, and the subsequent rigorous investigation led to the arrest of both men, who had travelled from London to Ceredigion to commit this serious crime.

The evidence collated clearly showed their responsibility for this dangerous fire – and due to this Kinnear and Silva both entered early guilty pleas.

Detective Inspector Leon Lewis said: “This was a reckless and dangerous act, that could have easily led to serious injury or loss of life. Arson is a very serious crime, and I’d like to thank my investigative team for bringing these offenders to justice. These sentences reflect the gravity of their actions. We will do everything in our power to catch and convict criminals that travel into our communities to commit crime.”

Darryl Kinnear was sentenced to five years imprisonment, to include a consecutive sentence of 12 months for dangerous driving (a Metropolitan Police investigation). And Peter Silva was sentenced to four years imprisonment.