FLAMES that had spread from a barn on a Wimborne farm on Monday morning destroyed a rare ex-military lorry parked nearby.

Some 40 firefighters from across the area rushed to Chilbridge Farm, near Kingston Lacy, from 8am onwards to try and quell the ferocious flames ripping through the open sided barn.

But despite their best efforts, the barn and its 6,000 tonnes of straw inside were reduced to nothing while two caravans and the 1942 converted military lorry parked next to it were also completely destroyed.

Witnesses living nearby spoke of seeing flames jumping up through the roof of the barn, which was situated on an isolated part of the beef and arable farm.

"What struck us as strange was that it had been raining very heavily just before we noticed the flames," said a neighbour, who wishes to remain anonymous.

"There had also been a big storm a couple of hours earlier."

Another witness said: "There had been a rare 1941 ex-military lorry, which had been converted to a recovery vehicle, parked next to the barn.

"Sadly that was destroyed, as were two caravans behind the barn."

A spokeswoman from Dorset Fire and Rescue said that the flames were finally quelled just after 10am and that two crews would be staying onsite throughout the day to damp down the scene.

"The barn, 80 metres by 30 metres, and 6,000 tonnes of straw inside are gone," she said.

"We had crews from Wimborne, Poole, Blandford, Redhill, Christchurch and Ferndown at the scene, along with a command unit from Hamworthy."

The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.