Arsonists set fire to 100 tonnes of straw and machinery

(Photo: Twitter/Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service)
(Photo: Twitter/Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service)

Police are appealing for more information after arsonists set fire to 100 tonnes of straw and machinery which burned over night on a farm in Cambridgeshire.

Firefighters responded to the blaze which ripped through a barn on the Fenland farm, located in Stocking Drove, Chatteris, on Tuesday May 21.

Using two hose reels and two jets, they extinguished the fire before returning to their stations by 7.30am on Wednesday.

The cause of the fire was deliberate.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Arson is a serious crime and can have severe consequences for those that start a fire, no matter how big or small it might be.”

The incident follows news of a Yorkshire farmer who admitted he may quit farming after an arson attack nearly killed 150 sheep in March.

And in a separate incident last November, a deliberate fire started on a farm in Derbyshire destroyed more than 3,000 bales.

Owners of the farm, E H Kinston and Son, posted a viral post on Facebook explaining how three thousand bales had been destroyed in an act of “evil duty”.

Whilst arson attacks on farms and small holdings may be difficult to eliminate, the NFU has provided number of simple precautions can substantially reduce the risk.

Assessing the risk

• A quick survey around a farm will identify where an arsonist could strike

• Stacks should be of a reasonable size and at least 10 metres apart

• Removing hay and straw from the field quickly after harvest will take away a potential arson target

• It is also essential to maintain firefighting equipment and to prepare a fire routine and action plan for the safety of your family and employees

Anyone with information about the Cambridgeshire incident should contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111