TWO youths have been arrested following a suspected arson attack at a Ribble Valley farm which caused £45,000-worth of damage.

The suspects, aged 20 and 15, both from the Clitheroe area, were arrested early yesterday after a trailer loaded with straw caught fire in West Bradford just after 2am.

The blaze at Throstle Bank Farm, Grindleton Road, destroyed a tractor and trailer, a plastic gas main and overhead telephone cables.

The incident was a severe blow to farm owner John Wrathall, 57, who relies on his tractor for agricultural contract work such as silage and hay making.

Mr Wrathall, who runs a beef and sheep farm, said: "The tractor was only 12 months old and cost £38,000 and the trailer was £6,000 and was practically brand new.

"I've never known any trouble here. We came back from Ormskirk and parked up about 11pm and then three hours later it was on fire."

Mr Wrathall said he usually parked his John Deere tractor by the roadside if he had just picked up a load so that animals in the farm yard could not eat the new straw. The 300 bales on the trailer cost approximately £500.

Sergeant John Lindsey said somebody had unsuccessfully tried to set fire to a soft-top car in the village before the load of straw caught fire.

He said: "We first had reports of two lads trying to set fire to the roof of a car that was near to the trailer damage.

"The people who called about the car could also see the flames from the trailer.

"A car was seen in the area. An hour and a half later a car was stopped in Clitheroe and two males were arrested on suspicion of arson."

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: "Thankfully the fire didn't spread to any of the buildings near to it."