FARMERS have expressed fears after a spate of suspicious barn fires.

Four barns in and around Redditch have been set alight in three days.

Three barns in Astwood Bank were set alight on Monday night and Tuesday morning and a barn in Sambourne, near Astwood Bank and Studley, was set alight on Wednesday morning.

The incidents are being treated as arson and are thought to be linked.

A police spokesman from South Worcestershire Police, which covers Astwood Bank, said that they are treating the three fires in that area as linked but can’t say for certain about the fourth fire in Sambourne.

They said they are following certain lines of inquiry but have yet to reach firm conclusions.

The first incident happened at about 11.30pm on Monday, July 26 at a property opposite the Nevill Arms pub.

The second and third happened shortly after between 1am and 2am on the Tuesday morning and affected two barns close to each other on land off the Salt Way.

The latest blaze was at Sambourne Hall Farm at about 1am on Wednesday, July 28 and took 12 appliances from all over Worcestershire, including Redditch and Studley, more than three hours get under control.

Brian Danks, a neighbour of Sambourne Hall Farm, who also owns a barn, said: “These fires are a very worrying situation.

“It is happening all around, it is arson on a large scale. I’ve not spoken to many farmers but I imagine they’re all in the same position as me.

“It’s hard to sleep at night thinking you may be woken up any minute to find your barn on fire.”