ARSON is the suspected cause of a barn fire which raged for more than four hours near Mabe yesterday evening.

Fire crews battled the blaze from just before 4pm. Relief applicances and a water carrier remained there until after 9am today, as the building at Antron Farm continued to smoke.

A spokesman from the fire service said: "Arson is suspected as the cause of the fire and a joint fire and police investigation is continuing."

The barn's contents were turned over by a telehandler and the fire was extinguished using jets.