Arsonist blamed as barn destroyed

A Shropshire farmer was counting the cost today after one of his biggest barns burned to the ground in a suspected arson attack.

Colin Williams said workers raised the alarm the barn was alight at Wootton Farm, in Quatt, near Bridgnorth, just after seeing a man fleeing the field and speeding off in a car.

Half a dozen firefighters were expected to be at the site until tomorrow to keep the fire under control.

Police confirmed the blaze was a suspected arson attack and appealed for witnesses who may have seen a silver-grey Ford Focus-style car nearby at about the time the fire started.

They are also looking for a man in a light-coloured top seen near the site of the fire.

Mr Williams said he had lost £5,000 in straw stock.

Motorists were also caught up in the blaze as the busy A442 road linking Brid- gnorth to Telford was closed yesterday afternoon to allow fire crews to reach the scene.

A road running from the A442 past the scene of the fire reopened only this morning after it remained blocked to traffic throughout the night.

The landowner said a couple of his farm workers had witnessed the whole incident.

He said: "I had a couple of lads working in the field opposite. They saw a man pull up in his car and jump over the gate into the field."

He said the man approached the barn and then ran off again, jumping the gate and driving off. He looked back at the barn and it was on fire.

"It's just such a totally pointless thing to do. There are half-a-dozen firefighters here who will probably be here for the next 48 hours sorting it out when they could be needed somewhere else to save someone's life.

"The police are obviously investigating too but I am sure they have other things they could be doing too.

"It's absolutely futile and it had an impact on a lot of other people too with the closure of the road."

Anyone who may have seen anything or anyone acting suspiciously near the scene of the fire is asked to contact police on 0300 3333000.

By Brett Gibbons