Police suspect arson as crews battle barn fire (From Western Telegraph)

Police suspect arson as crews battle barn fire

A FIRE which raged at a Pembroke farm for more than 30 hours may have been the result of an arson attack, say police.

Firefighters and police were called to the blaze at Bush Farm at 8.52am on Wednesday and finally left at 3.59pm on Thursday.

A team of 22 firefighters struggled to save the surrounding buildings as 120 large bales of hay, worth £1,200, were engulfed in the flames.

The roof and walls of the barn were severely damaged but the frame survived.

The fire was spotted by cattle farmer, Neil Bachelor, who alerted the emergency services and then used a tractor to rescue some farming equipment stored in the barn.

Watching the fire from nearby land, farm owner Helen Bowen, said: "The number of break-ins and vandalism that we have had in the past months and weeks has been appalling, I've got no doubt this was started deliberately."

A police spokesman said: "We are treating this fire as suspicious, there was no power source in the barn and nothing that could have combusted on its own. Arson is certainly one possible cause for this extensive fire."

A fire service spokesman confirmed that they are working with police as they carry out their investigation.