Blaze burns down barn

A BLYTON farmer has been left devastated after arsonists targeted his farm last week.

Fire crews were called out to Willow Farm on Carr Lane, in Blyton, near Gainsborough, at 10.49pm on Thursday 20th September, where a portable frame barn was ablaze.

The barn was allowed to burn out and a large amount of straw and hay were destroyed. More than £100,000 worth of damage is said to have been caused.

Officials say that the cause is believed to be deliberate.

“We filled the building up with hay and straw over the summer,” said Andrew Wilkinson, whose family runs the farm.

“I’d been to Scunthorpe and came home around 9.10pm when everything was fine. Then at about 10.30pm I got a phone call telling me that the barn was on fire.”

“There were flames coming through the roof and everything.”

He continued: “I was up all night afterwards – we are absolutely gutted that a year’s worth of work has been destroyed in one night.”

“We feel lucky that no one was hurt but I’ve lost all of my winter feed. I’ve got 160 cattle with no straw or hay to eat.”

Andrew works on the farm with his brother Martin.

Martin added: “We are absolutely devastated.”

“We’d put so many hours of work in and now it’s all gone, but we live on the farm and are just glad that no one was hurt.”

Lincs Police spokesman James Newall said that they were investigating the incident but no arrests had been made yet.

“This is a very serious incident where someone could have been very seriously hurt,” he said.

“Our investigations are ongoing and we would appeal for any witnesses to please come forward.

l Anyone who saw anything suspicious or who has any information is asked to call Lincs Police on 101 quoting incident 3, of 21st September, or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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