Arson attack causes thousands of pounds worth of damage

AN arson attack at a farm in Stretham is the latest in a recent spate of attacks that have taken place at agricultural properties across the district.

Fire-fighters were called to tackle a blaze at Stowbridge Farm shortly before 1am on January 2 after offenders set fire to a pile of tyres that had been placed in front of electronic gates.

At 7pm the same day, arsonists struck again at a second entrance to the farm, on Cambridge Road in Chittering, where more tyres were torched, causing thousands of pounds of damage to the gates.

Farmer Luke Palmer said: “It was a malicious attack and we don’t really understand why they did it. Our main worry is that they might come back, we don’t know what they were after.”

Mr Palmer said that the gates were replaced within hours and security systems were being put in place to prevent another attack.

Pc Simon Page, from the Rural Community Action Team, said: “These fires have caused considerable damage worth several thousand pounds.

“The offenders would have had to use a van or large vehicle to transport the tyres and both locations are on busy roads so I would appeal to anyone with any information to call police.”

The attacks follows similar incidents at Pymoor, where a 600sq m barn was torched, and Mepal, where more than 100,000 bales of straw were set alight back in December.

Anyone with information should call PC Page on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.