POLICE are appealing for information after a farm building and its contents were destroyed in a suspected arson attack at the weekend.
Firefighters spent all day Sunday battling the fire in a barn at Fitches Grange Farm, between Toft Hill and Witton-le-Wear, on the A68, in County Durham.
The new £200,000 building was gutted by the fire, which started in the early hours of the morning. Police are treating the cause as suspicious and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them on (01388) 603566.
About 300 tons of baled hay, worth £50,000, were also destroyed in the fire.
At the height of the blaze, six appliances and more than 30 officers from Bishop Auckland and Crook were called to the scene.
The blaze was a second blow for the owners. It was almost two years ago to the week that fire crews were called to the same site, which is owned by the Thompson family, who are well known in local farming circles.
In September 2000, the blaze destroyed 500 bales of hay.
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