POLICE are investigating a fire which destroyed more than 200 tonnes of timber at a scrap merchant's premises.
Eleven fire crews were called to Reivers Reprocessing in Abbotsford Road, Felling, Gateshead, at 5.45am yesterday.
Up to 50 firefighters - six wearing breathing apparatus - tackled the blaze, which took an hour-and-a-half to bring under control.
Station officer Ian Cuskin said: "Potentially, the incident could have been more serious had it not been for a rapid response to protect adjacent buildings by the operational crews."
He said the blaze was being treated as a suspected malicious fire
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