Farm owner 'saddened' after suspected arson attacks

A farm owner said she is "saddened and disappointed" after her wheat crops were subjected to six suspected arson attacks.

Judith Jacob, from Moor Farm in Glinton near Peterborough, said a series of small fires had been "deliberately started" along footpaths and field edges on Sunday at about 21:00 BST.

She said: "We've worked hard for a whole year to grow this crop. For someone to come along and intentionally set fire to it is incredibly disappointing."

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said a crew from Dogsthorpe attended the fire on Rectory Lane in Peakirk. A spokesperson for the service said the multiple blazes were believed to have been started deliberately.

The third-generation farmer said they are now considering closing nearby permissive footpaths to prevent further incidents.

"I'll be contacting the local secondary school in the area to ask if they can remind students to be careful and respectful.

"We're not certain who is responsible, but this is the time of year we tend to see more of this.

"It's a privilege to walk through the countryside.

"Unfortunately, it's a public footpath so anybody can walk along it, but we do have two permissive footpaths that go off adjacent to it, so we are considering closing those while the weather is so bad because people are so disrespectful they don't deserve to have a beautiful place of the countryside to walk through."

Cambridgeshire Police said it is investigating the incident and has urged anyone with information to get in touch.

Jacob added: "We hope the community will pull together and help with any information they might have regarding these incidents. Someone has to be held accountable."

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