Northumberland farms fire bill to reach £250,000

Sep 4 2010 by Alastair Craig, The Journal

THE fire damage at three Northumberland farms hit by arson attacks is now estimated at over £250,000.

A suspect was still being held last night by police investigating the spate of blazes which destroyed farm buildings and thousands of hay bales.

They have confirmed a 49-year-old man from the Alnwick area is being questioned over the incidents.

A county-wide hunt was launched after the malicious fires brought the family businesses to a standstill in the space of 24 hours. At Causey Park Farm, near Morpeth, close to £70,000 worth of damage was caused on Tuesday night after a barn and 1,200 straw bales were ignited

The 1,500 acres at Causey Park Farm has been operated by brothers Stephen and Peter Hogg’s family for more than 150 years. Stephen, 62, who is married to Diana, 61, said last night that insurance assessors had put a five-figure sum on the damage.

“This has affected us badly because there’s not much we can do,” he said. “The straw bales were already provisionally sold to other farmers so we’ve had to cancel that and harvest more as well.”

It is believed a similar damage bill is facing Mousen Farm, near Belford, which was struck on Wednesday night. Chris Manners, who runs Chevington Moor Farm, which lies across the A1 from Causey Park, said the business had lost £130,000.

He said: “It was barley straw that has been in there for about a month, it’s the best stuff as well. Now we will have to get it from somewhere else which is more expense and we have got nowhere to put the cattle.”

No one was hurt during the incidents and livestock was evacuated to a safe distance. A spokesman for Northumbria Police confirmed: “A 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in relation to three farm fires in Northumberland. Inquiries remain ongoing.”

Police are still calling for information into the farm attacks. Anyone who can help should contact them on 0345 604 3043.