Police have released an image of the man who deliberately burnt down allotments in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Nathan Smith, of no fixed address, committed the crime as "an act of spite" at the Lane End allotments, off Mansfield Road, at about 9.30pm on May 14, 2021.
The 31-year-old was absent from Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, February 25, where he was given a five-year prison sentence.
The full extent of the fire was heard in court, where one witness described a gas cylinder exploding and "it nearly blew me off my feet".
Another witness, a police officer involved in the search, described a gas cylinder exploding and said "the sky lit up, the ground shook and the noise was overwhelming".
Smith was also charged with a count of racially aggravated assault.
DC Beth Sumner, of Nottinghamshire Police, said the force was "extremely pleased" with the sentence, describing Smith's actions as "completely inexcusable".
She said: “Smith deliberately lit a number of fires across the allotment site which led to multiple structures being severely damaged or destroyed as a result and a small explosion that would have been incredibly concerning for the local community.
“Thankfully nobody was hurt as a result of the blaze, although it required a joint response from emergency services to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.
“We will never tolerate any form of hate crime towards at our officers and will always call for anyone who acts in this way towards emergency service colleagues to be prosecuted.
“It really should go without saying but there is absolutely no place for this type of behaviour in our society.”
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