FARMERS are warned to be on the alert for fire-raisers after 750 bales of straw went up in flames at Moat Farm, St Mary Hoo, in the early hours of Monday.

Police believe the blaze is linked to others in this part of the Medway area.

Kathy Maclean and husband Ian were at their farm when the blaze broke out. Mrs Maclean said: "It started just after 1.15am. My brother-in-law heard an engine running. He had a look out of the window and saw flames and rang my husband and woke him up.

"We are insured but we will probably end up out of pocket once we may have to pay higher premiums now this has happened."

The straw bales were in a field and firefighters managed to isolate the fire so they could remove nearby tractors and other farm machinery.

On August 27, a blaze in a barn woke an elderly couple at Chapter Farm in Watling Street, Strood, at 2.30am. The next day, fire destroyed two barns and 30 tons of straw at Chattenden Farm, Lodge Hill Lane, Chattenden.