A BARN blaze early today destroyed two tractors and damaged another belonging to an Atherton farmer.

Mr John Blakemore, aged 73, and his wife Joan were woken at 4am by neighbour Keith Latham who had been disturbed by the noise. But by that time the brick-built barn, where the tractors were housed, was well alight.

Mr Blakemore, whose family have farmed for three generations at Langley Hall, Platt Lane, said: "It was too late to do anything but wait for the fire brigade.

"The asbestos roof has gone and two Massey Ferguson tractors worth about £10,000 were destroyed. A third tractor was also damaged but we don't know how badly yet.

"There is a possibility the fire started because of an electrical short on one of the tractors but none had been run since last Sunday. A few years ago a hay barn was destroyed in an arson attack.

"There were a couple of gas bottles in the barn but they were empty. We may have to borrow machinery but it will not affect the running of the farm. We only have a bit of grassland. Most of our fields went due to opencast mining."

Mr and Mrs Blakemore and their tenant neighbours Mr Latham and Mr Paddy Mulcahy, who live in cottages adjoining the farm, watched as fire fighters from Atherton, Hindley and Leigh fought the blaze.

A fire spokesman said: "Arson was suspected at first but we are now working on the theory of an electrical fault on one of the tractors."