DETECTIVES believe a fire at a farm which made national headlines because of an unpleasant onion odour was an arson.

Firefighters from Bishop Auckland spent 45 minutes tackling the blaze at West Musgrave Farm in St Helen Auckland, on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, yesterday morning (Tuesday, December 11).

The fire in the two-storey detached farmhouse started between 7am and 7.30am and caused internal damage.

The farm house is home to Paul Shepherd although he was not in the property at the time.

Mr Shepherd, who is a manager at Albert Hill Skip Hire, was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

A man who was at the farmhouse this afternoon said the damage was mainly smoke damage and it was limited to the staircase.

Neighbours said they woke yesterday morning to find plumes of smoke coming from the house.

One woman said: “It was pitch black outside but you could see the smoke and the whole upstairs of the house looked like it was lit up.”

Another said the heat had caused the upstairs windows to smash.

Police are now investigating the cause of the blaze and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

A spokeswoman said: “Enquiries are on-going in relation to the circumstances of the fire, at present it is believed to be an arson.“

Peter Maddison, assistant district manager at Bishop Auckland fire station, said three crews responded to the call out and used breathing apparatus in their battle with the blaze.

West Musgrave made national headlines in February, 2011, after neighbours lives were blighted by the smell of rotten onions emanating from the farm on Louisa Terrace.

Information can be reported to Bishop Auckland Serous Crime Team on 101 or Crimestopper on 0800-555-111.