By Julian Whittle

Last updated at 12:06, Monday, 18 June 2012

The owner of a cake-making business has been targeted by arsonists, just weeks after another cake maker quit because of cyber bullying.

Lisa Wheatcroft

Lisa Wheatcroft, who runs The Sweet Dream Cake Company, returned from holiday a week ago to find that someone had put matches through the letter box of her home in Alexander Street, off London Road in Carlisle.

She said: “My hallway was filled with matches. I thought it was kids messing about but I reported it.

“Then the police said that, while I was away, they had been called to pull a rag from my front door.

“It doesn’t bear thinking about. I’ve got a 22-month-old daughter, Jessica. What if she’d been in the house and by some freak it had gone up in flames?”

Miss Wheatcroft, 34, set up her business last October.

She believes the arson incident may be linked to cyber-bullying attacks on another cake maker, Emma Barnes.

The News & Star reported last month that Ms Barnes was closing her BabyCakes business after receiving vicious anonymous email messages.

She implied that a rival cake maker may have been responsible.

Miss Wheatcroft thinks that someone may, mistakenly, believe she is the cyber bully.

She said: “It could be coincidental but some of the comments on Emma’s Facebook page have hinted at the bully being local and called for them to be named and shamed.

“There is a lot of anger about what happened to Emma and I wonder if someone is trying to make a point.”

“I am just concerned that what happened to me doesn’t happen to any other cake makers.”

Police say there is no evidence to suggest the arson attack and the cyber bullying are linked.

They are still investigating the arson case but the inquiry into Ms Barnes’ allegations has closed.

A force spokeswoman said: “There was insufficient evidence to proceed.”

First published at 11:30, Monday, 18 June 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk