More than £120,000 worth of motor homes have been destroyed in a fire near Weston Park. About nine luxury cars and vehicles were gutted in the late night fire, which firefighters today said was being treated as suspicious.

Firefighters went to the scene just before midnight and spent nearly three hours tackling the flames at Ivetsey Bank.

Owners of the Stafford Motorhome Company, based next to the A5 Watling Street at Ivetsey Bank, near Weston Park, today said they were heartbroken.

Peter Morrison has run the company for the past six years. He set it up when he left the RAF after 24 years service.

The 46-year-old is on holiday in France, where he has gone to watch England in the Rugby World Cup, when he received the call to tell him his business had gone up in smoke.

“I’m in France at the moment but I really don’t feel up to it now,” he said. “I’m just gutted. I took over the company six years ago using my gratuity money from the air force.

“We have put so much hard work into it to build it up to what it is today and then this happens.

“When I got the call I just couldn’t believe it. I haven’t been told exactly what’s happened, but I know there’s nine of the vehicles involved.

“My wife Jacqueline is at the site at the moment and I am flying back tomorrow.

“Investigations are going on now. Hopefully we will be able to get it back to how it was again with the insurance.

“If there are any problems with that I don’t know what we’d do. It is heartbreaking.”

John Short, Stafford Motorhome Company sales manager, said about £120,000 worth of stock had been damaged in the blaze.

“It is going to hit us hard,” he said. “It is only a small company and one or two of the vans had already been sold.”

One woman, who lives near the company, said she saw flames shooting into the air. She said it looked as if something had exploded.

Staffordshire Fire Service received a call at 11.45pm and three fire engines attended the scene. Firefighters spent nearly three hours bringing the flames under control.

By Lizzie Yates