Avon Fire and Rescue Service received more than 50 calls after a lorry was deliberately set alight in Portishead.

A lorry carrying about 30 tonnes of hay was set on fire in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The first 999 call was made at about 12.15am but it took more than 16 hours for firefighters to be confident the fire was full out.

A police investigation into the incident is underway.

A fire service spokesman said: “A nearby commercial property, a vehicle transporter carrying 11 cars and one street light suffered radiated heat damage.

“A local farmer, assisted crews who were damping down, with the removal of the remaining hay using a JCB.”

Detective Sergeant Andrew Pugh said: “If anyone saw or heard anything suspicious in the Old Mill Road area around the time of the fire, or if anyone knows who may have been responsible, please call us as soon as possible.

“If you can help, please call 101 and quote reference 5216081028.”

* For full story, see Wednesday’s North Somerset Times.