A LARGE blaze which caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage at a south Durham factory is being treated as suspicious.

Police have launched an appeal for information about a fire at the Tallent Engineering works, in Newton Aycliffe, on Monday.

Firefighters were called to the plant on Groat Way, Aycliffe Industrial Estate, to deal with the incident shortly before 9.30pm.

Five crews, including two special units, an aerial ladder and the special incident unit, tackled the blaze for more than two hours. Smoke could be seen for many miles.

Columns of plastic and timber pallets, which were stored in a compound at the plant, which backs on to a nature reserve, the A167 road and Groat Avenue, were destroyed by flames.

The blaze was so fierce that it reduced the plastic pallets, which were stacked up to 20ft high, to a large molten pool and badly damaged the concrete floor.

The front of a steel-clad workshop was also slightly damaged by flames but production at the plant, which employs hundreds of people, has been unaffected.

Detective Superintendent Lee Herridge, of Newton Aycliffe CID, said: "Because of the intensity of the blaze it has been impossible to say where it started, but it is being treated as suspicious."

He said the fire brigade had been called to the area on the same afternoon to deal with a small rubbish fire behind where the main fire was started and that children had been seen playing in the area at about the same time as each fire occurred.

Simon Flunder, managing director of TKA Tallent Chassis, said: "It has cost the company a lot of money, but thankfully has not had any major effect on clients or employees. We support the police investigation because we hope it will prevent this happening in the future."

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to call Newton Aycliffe Police Station (01325) 314401 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

* A firefighter from Newton Aycliffe fire station who was hurt while attending the engineering works blaze was released from Darlington Memorial Hospital after treatment for minor burns to his neck