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Article from Evening Telegraph 1965 transcribed by Sally Crane

Farm Fire: Arson not ruled out
Firemen fight the flames at the staw-stack blaze at Church Lane farm in 1965
Disaster hit a local farmer, Mr. Oliver Perkins , when a hundred tons of hay and straw were destroyed in a fire at Church Lane Farm, Burton Latimer, last night.  Police are making exhaustive inquiries, and thy have not ruled out the possibility of arson.Less than an hour after the  alarm was given, the entire haystack, a trailer loaded with bales of straw, a tractor and other farm machinery were blazing, and only a minor stack a short distance away could be salvaged.  Damage is estimated at £2,000.A Wellingborough crew and two from Kettering fought the blaze through the night after receiving the call at 9.35.One crew was still there this morning.It was Mr. Perkins ’ entire winter supply, and he is now extremely short of winter fodder, with no idea where he can get more.  “It will be a job replacing it”, he said bitterly.He believes it was the work of fire-raiser.  “Everything was all-right when I left about 7.30” he explained.  A petrol can is missing from the premises.“I stopped the tractor at 5 pm , and we left it with the trailer by the stack ready to unload in the morning”.After attending to farm duties, Mr. Perkins checked that everything was in order “I do that last thing every day”, he stressed.
Oliver & Mrs Perkins, of Church Lane Farm
Oliver & Mrs Perkins


Footnote: There was a successful investigation of this crime - (click here for court case)

Click here for details of Mr Perkins' smallholding


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