Teen arrested after minibuses destroyed in fire

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested after seven specially-adapted minibuses, used by people with disabilities and schoolchildren, were destroyed in a fire.

Nobody was hurt in the blaze, but the minibuses, worth up to £250,000, were destroyed at Silk Mills Park and Ride compound in Bishops Hull, Taunton, Somerset.

Police said a teenager from Taunton had been arrested on suspicion of arson, assault by beating of an emergency worker, and affray following the blaze, which broke out at about 19:50 BST on Saturday.

Justin Popes, coordinator of the minibuses' routes, said: "As a parent with children with additional needs, it would kill me if their mood was upset by [this] change."

He said children with additional needs could be upset by not being picked up in the same vehicle, as some had formed "attachments".

The fleet was also relatively new, which makes the incident even more "heart-wrenching", he said.

Despite the damage, Somerset Council said all park and ride services from the site were running "as normal".

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, the council's lead member for communities, paid tribute to the "fantastic" team that helped maintain services.

"Staff gave up some of their Sunday to make sure we had the extra buses we needed to make sure some of our most vulnerable children and young people had their essential transport services on Monday morning," she said.

"It was a fantastic effort and we're really grateful to them", she added.

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