by Joe Walker

joewalker@thekmgroup.co.uk

A farmer is facing a repair bill for thousands of pounds after his barn was torched last night in a suspected arson attack.

Andrew Brealy raced to Strode Farm in Lower Herne Road after a neighbour alerted him to the blaze at 10am.

More than 20 firefighters tackled the flames for 10 hours and stopped them spreading to a nearby grain store.

But one hundred tonnes of hay and wheat straw – worth £15,000 – was destroyed in the blaze, along with five trailers inside the barn.

Mr Brealy, whose family have been on the farm since 1959, said: “My neighbour Toby Broad called me at about 10pm and said the barn was alight.

“As I got down here I actually followed the fire engine in. Unfortunately it was just a case of watching it burn out. They don’t try and put them [barn fires] out these days.”

Fire crews, who left the scene at 8am this morning, are yet to establish the cause of the blaze, but Mr Brealy suspects arson.

Eight years ago the barn was destroyed in a similar attack.

He said: “The suspicion is some accelerant was used. When I got here I could see a trail of fire through the straw. It’s certainly unusual.

“There are some sick buggers out there. You slog your guts out through a difficult season with the wet weather, only to have to watch this happen.

“It’s too early to say how much it will cost to put right, but the last time it was £52,000 because the old barn was built using asbestos. Hopefully they might be able to retrieve the building this time.”

Herne parish councillor Mr Brealy is a director of Hollamby Estates - the owners of Herne Bay Driving Range, which was hit by an arson attack last year.

But he said: “I don’t know why anyone would target the farm.”