Police are appealing for information after an open-sided barn full of straw was set alight in Ashbocking.

The barn was set alight between 3.30am and 4am yesterday, Tuesday 1 October, and the blaze destroyed nearly 800 tonnes of straw kept inside.

Fire crews were continuing to battle the barn fire this morning with two crews working overnight to contain the flames.

The blaze is being treated as suspicious.

At the height of the fire five crews from Woodbridge, Ipswich and Debenham were on the scene accompanied by a command unit from Woodbridge and a support pump from Needham Market.

The fire, which is in a barn on Hemingstone Road in Ashbocking containing more than 750 tonnes of straw, was called in to the fire service just before 4am this morning and crews were on site at 4.09am.

Initially only one crew was sent but two more were quickly requested because of the severity of the blaze.

This was later increased to five as crews tried to keep the fire from spreading.

And at 8am this morning the barn was still alight with smoke drifting across the adjacent road.

Station Commander Ian Mallet said: “Firefighters were put in place around the perimeter of the building to prevent the fire spreading to other buildings.

“The environment agency have also been informed and the police were called because the fire is of a suspicious nature.

“We are now in the process of scaling down but we will have a presence here for some time.”

Pc Bob James said: “One patrol car attended when the fire was first reported.

“We will be conducting an investigation with the fire service because we’ve been told nearly 800 tonnes of straw doesn’t go up by itself.”

Anyone with information relating to this crime is asked to contact PC Bob James at the Kesgrave & District Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.