Vehicles gutted in blaze at shed

Arsonists are being blamed for a fire in a Shropshire shed which destroyed a number of vehicles.

Firefighters were called to battle the blaze at Coneyburg Wood, Hungry Hatton, Hinstock, just before 9pm yesterday.

Leading firefighter Mark Smith, from Market Drayton fire station, said officers were unsure what started the fire, but that children had apparently been seen nearby.

He said the cause of the fire was being treated as suspicious.

“It was a fire involving a storage shed,” he said. “It was about 10 metres by 5 metres, containing a large goods vehicle and several tractors and farm machinery.

“Initially we had to take to defensive firefighting because there was gas cylinders involved.

“We had to take up defensive posts, withdraw crews and just use jets.

“The cylinders were cooled by us then they were removed from the scene.”

Leading firefighter Smith said crews from Market Drayton and Newport attended the incident spent about four hours dealing with it.

“There was a considerable amount of damage,” he said. “The building was destroyed and the vehicles as well. It was quite a mess.

“It is being treated as suspicious.”

He said three tractors, a derelict bus and a large goods vehicle had been destroyed.