Recycling centre fire which caused A41 shutdown started deliberately, police say

The vast fire which caused chaos on the A41 yesterday (October 4), was started deliberately, the authorities believe.

A section of the A41 was shut for 16 hours yesterday as the emergency services wrestled with a major fire in Aylesbury.

Spreading from Fairpoint Containers recycling centre in Aylesbury at around 08:40am the emergency services rushed to combat the blaze.

A canister of acetylene is believed to have caught fire causing a larger fire within the premises, for safety reasons the A41 Aston Clinton Bypass was closed.

While several crews and at least four fire engines fought to control the fire and monitor the area, the police cordoned off 200 metres of the road.

Motorists were urged to find alternative routes for their journeys while the Bucks Fire and Rescue Service dealt with the blaze.

The incident has been reported as arson by the Thames Valley Police, that section of the A41 wasn't reopened until just before midnight.

Detective Inspector Simon Mountain, based at Aylesbury police station, said: “We are carrying out an investigation following this incident.

“We are asking the public to please get in touch if they have any information that may assist us in our enquiries.

“We are particularly keen to see if anyone saw someone acting suspiciously between the times of 2pm on Sunday (October 3) and 8.30am on Monday (October 4) in the College Road North area where the site is.

“If you have information please call 101 or go online quoting reference 43210446596, or if you wish to report 100% anonymously you can do so by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“We would like to thank the public for their patience following this incident as we are aware it did cause disruption to the local area but was necessary to ensure everyone’s safety.”