MINISTER Penny Mordaunt toured burned-out council headquarters to show her support for staff.

The offices of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils in Crowmarsh Gifford were severely damaged in a blaze on January 15.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government was joined on the visit yesterday by South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) leader John Cotton, county council leader Ian Hudspeth and Oxfordshire’s chief fire officer Dave Etheridge.

Ms Mordaunt, who has responsibility for fire services, said: “Some staff moved in recently while others worked here for decades. It has been very upsetting for them.”

Mr Cotton said SODC was not seeking financial support from the Government and added: “We have just received an initial payment of half a million pounds from our insurers.”

A man charged with three arson attacks in South Oxfordshire had a hearing at Oxford Crown Court yesterday via a video link from Bullingdon Prison.

Andrew Main, 47, of Roke Marsh Farm, Rokemarsh, is charged with two counts of arson with intent to endanger life and two counts of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The four charges relate to fires on January 15 at the council offices, a funeral parlour and a thatched cottage.

Main is due back in court on April 10.

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