Police have arrested a 49-year-old man after a spate of farm fires in Northumberland.
The man was arrested on Friday morning (3 September) and was said to be helping police with their enquiries.
Four farms in the Morpeth and Belford area were targeted by an arsonist resulting in the loss of valuable winter straw stocks as well as totally destroying barns and storage buildings.
Chris Manners of Chevington Moor lost 1000 big straw bales after his barn was set alight but he managed to save the building.
Peter Hogg of Causey Park near Morpeth not only lost a similar amount of straw but the fire quickly took hold and destroyed the barn.
"Before the fire brigade arrived we used a water bowser but there was no way we could have controlled it. We had no option but to let it burn out," said Peter who has lost about half his winter supply of straw.
Farmers Weekly contributor Charlie Armstrong of Alnwick was another whose farm was hit by the arsonist. On Wednesday evening this week a barn was set alight causing the loss of around 1000 big straw bales.
A spokesman for Northumberland rural specialists George F White urged farmers to check insurance policies: "If you are hit by this type of attack don't rush to make a claim until you have fully worked out the total loss which can be far more than you think."