Arson probe as two barns blaze just 10 miles apart in Shropshire - pictures and video
Two huge barn fires have been burning just 10 miles apart in Shropshire - with one of them being confirmed as arson.
The first blaze involved 600 tonnes of straw in Wistanswick, near Market Drayton, and a second was on Shay Lane in Forton, near Newport.
The Wistanswick fire involved a barn on Yew Tree Lane and started at about 3.28am this morning.
There were also two other fires in a nearby field which each contained 100 tonnes of straw.
Holly Claydon-Bevan, organisational communications assistant for West Mercia Police, said: "We were called at 3.49am to reports of a fire on farmland in Wistanswick, Market Drayton.
"On arrival we found that a barn and a field were alight approximately 200m from the A41 at Wistanswick.
"Police and fire service were in attendance.
"This is believed to be arson. If anyone witnessed any suspicious behaviour in the area around this time, please call West Mercia Police on 101 quoting incident number November 1."
Another barn blaze also broke out at a similar time, 10 miles away at Shay Lane, Forton, near the Shropshire border.
Fire crews from Gnosall and Eccleshall and a third fire engine, from Newport, were at the scene.
Shay Lane was closed in both directions due to the fire and motorists were advised to seek alternative routes.
The farm manager at Forton, who did not want to be named, said that the blaze was the third barn fire they had had this year.
He said: "It is absolutely dreadful. We have lost our winter feed and our winter bedding as well as fertilizer, seed and barley.
"We may now have to look at buying in feed."
He said they had been contacted by a neighbour who had heard the 'whoosh' as the blaze went up.
He added: "There is nothing you can do once it goes up except watch it burn.
"We have stayed up through the night driving around to see if we can see anything and still we have this happen to us.
"Thankfully we haven't had any animals involved but if this person is not caught there could be a tragedy."
Anyone with any information is asked to contact West Mercia Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
