A field of crops in Oxford was deliberately set ablaze yesterday, police believe.

Ten acres of standing crops off Bayswater Road, Headington, were destroyed by the fire. Farm machinery was used as a break to stop it spreading.

A fire service spokesman said the blaze was being treated as suspicious. He added: "It looks like a pile of cardboard may have been set alight maliciously."

Photographer Michael Workman, 28, saw flames as he walked his dog nearby. He said: "About a third of the field was well alight, right from one corner of the field to another. There seemed to be quite a few kids hanging around."

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