Man arrested after suspected arson attack in Lewes

Police say a 53-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, burglary and possession of cannabis after a barn and a barn conversion were set on fire at Lower Stoneham Farm on Uckfield Road at 3.30am.

The man was arrested several hours later after police were called to reports of a burglary in Cooksbridge.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue fought two fires at Lower Stoneham Farm, one in a barn used for agriculture with another in a barn which had been converted into a two-floor home.

Four crews from Lewes, Uckfield and Preston Circus used breathing equipment, foam and a water jet to extinguish the fires. No one was in the buildings at the time.

Fire investigators are looking into how the fire was started.

Several hours after the fire was first found, police received a report of a burglary at a house at Four Winds, Cooksbridge.

The incident was reported at 5.25am after the occupant confronted a man who had broken in through a kitchen window. The man then left the house.

Police carried out a search of the area and a man was arrested nearby. He is in custody for questioning.

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