TWO teenage girls have been arrested after a fire broke out in the toilets of Asda at the Castlepoint complex in Bournemouth.

The store was evacuated for four hours and police are treating the incident as arson.

The 13-year-old girls were released on police bail. No charges have been brought.

The fire is believed to have caused mainly smoke damage before being put out by the sprinkler system - which caused the majority of the damage and the delay in reopening the store.

The Daily Echo understood the damage to be around £20,000 but an Asda spokesman said it was nowhere near that'.

They confirmed store CCTV, which the Daily Echo understands features the suspected arsonists, has been handed over to investigating officers.

The spokesman said: "There was a small fire in the ladies toilets. It was under control quite quickly, and fire investigators have been in.

"The safety of the customers is our priority."

Fire fighters were called to the store at 5.44pm on Wednesday.

It was reopened by 9.30pm and no other stores were affected.

Hamworthy Co-Op was destroyed last month in a suspected arson attack.

Steve Shuck, the fire service's area manager, said such arson attacks in toilets commonly involved setting fire to toilet paper and he branded them stupid pranks'.

He said: "This incident tied up fire engines at a busy rush hour. It might only be a small fire but it has far reaching consequences."