Arsonists blamed for lorry fire

ARSONISTS are believed to be responsible for a lorry cab fire on the A46 which closed part of the road north of Leicester for over an hour on Friday morning.

Emergency services were called to the scene, near Ratcliffe on the Wreake, shortly after 7am.

A section of the road was shut between the Hobby Horse roundabout, at Syston, and Ratcliffe on the Wreake, causing rushhour tailbacks and delays.

A fire service spokesman said: “The police also attended the scene, which was on a layby next to a roadside cafe. On arrival, crews found the cab of a lorry, without a trailer, that was well alight. The carriageway was shut for the safety of motorists.”

By about 8am the fire was out. The lorry cab was removed from the layby and the road reopened at about 8.30am. No-one was injured.

A police investigation is now under way after a fire investigation concluded the lorry cab was deliberately set on fire.

The fire service spokeswoman said: “We believed the cause of the fire was deliberate. The cab, which we believe to have been abandoned, was destroyed in the fire. But there was nobody with the vehicle at the time and no-one was injured.”