A man has been arrested in connection with a farm blaze that burned for weeks at a Nottinghamshire farm, amid worrying statistics released showing an increase in farm fires.
The 41-year-old man was arrested in connection to the blaze that broke out at Oakfield Farm, in Forest Lane, Walesby, on September 21 last year.
He was arrested at an address in Sneinton on Wednesday (November 8) after a joint operation between Nottinghamshire Police and the Environment Agency.
The site of the blaze contained dumped illegal waste. The man had had no permit for waste to be stored on the farm.
The Environment Agency said the man will also be questioned about the discovery of illegal waste at two sites in Leicestershire.
A sharp rise in farm fires has prompted a rural insurer to call for farmers to check their fire prevention and evacuation procedures.
'Extremely serious'
Peter Haslock, area enforcement team leader for the East Midlands, said: "The arrest was made as part of a joint investigation involving enforcement officers from the Environment Agency and colleagues from Nottinghamshire Police.
"We know the Walesby site did not have a permit for waste activity and we believe the waste was involved in the fire.
"These are extremely serious cases and the Environment Agency is determined to bring the culprits to justice.
"We are working closely with partners to share intelligence on illegal wast activity - and we're encouraging property and land owners to be vigilant."
Anyone with any concerns about illegal waste activity is urged to call the Environment Agency's incident hotline on 0800 807 060.
