POLICE have launched an arson investigation after hundreds of straw bales set ablaze near Blandford early this morning.

Some 288 bales in a field next to West Street on the road between Winterborne Kingston and Winterborne Whitchurch went up in flames at around 6.30am.

PC Sam Burge, of Blandford police, said: “We are continuing to liaise with the fire service to establish the cause of this fire.

“At this stage we are not able to confirm whether it was started accidentally of if it was the result of a deliberate act. To assist our investigation, I would urge anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area around the time of the fire to please contact us.

“I would also urge anyone who has dashcam on their vehicle and was driving along the road around the relevant time to please check their footage.”

Crews from Blandford, Poole and Bere Regis tackled the blaze.

A spokesperson from the fire service said one 4x4 vehicle from Bere Regis and the Unimog from Wareham is still in attendance.

They added: “We will be remaining on scene monitoring this for some time.”