Suspected arson causes £100,000 damage on Kent farmland

A suspected arson attack on farmland near Dover has caused more than £100,000 in estimated losses, prompting police to appeal for witnesses and footage.

Kent Police was called at 7.25pm on Tuesday 18 August following reports that hay bales were on fire in Station Road, St Margaret’s at Cliffe.

Officers attended alongside Kent Fire and Rescue Service, with crews working extensively to bring the large blaze under control.

Nobody was reported injured and numerous livestock were moved to safety during the incident.

Police said the cause of the fire is being treated as suspicious and an investigation is continuing.

Inspector Paul Barrell, from Dover’s Community Safety Unit, said: “This fire has had a devastating impact on the local community, with early estimated costs to rural business exceeding £100,000.”

He praised the emergency services, residents and volunteers who helped at the scene.

Barrell added: “It is thanks to the swift actions of officers, firefighters, local residents and volunteers at the scene that the consequences were not worse.”

Kent Police is appealing for anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.

Officers are particularly interested in CCTV or dashcam footage that may have captured relevant activity in or around the area.

Witnesses can contact Kent Police on 01843 222289, quoting reference 46/136496/26.

Separately, police are investigating a barn fire in Dorset that destroyed around 2,000 hay bales, with firefighters believing the blaze was started deliberately.

Around 60 firefighters from nearly a dozen stations were deployed at the height of the incident in East Lulworth, working to prevent the flames spreading to surrounding countryside and nearby property.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was called shortly after 3am on Saturday 15 August.

The fire destroyed the barn and its contents, along with a derelict outbuilding.

Information for both incidents can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or through its online reporting service.