ARSONISTS have destroyed an antique wagon in a siding at the Severn Valley Railway in Bewdley.

Fire crews from Bewdley and Kidderminster were called to the blaze, which they believed had been burning for most of the night, at 4am on Tuesday.

SVR spokesman John Leach said the wagon, which was in regular use, was a brake van for the guard to sit in at the rear of the train.

He said: "It's very disappointing.

"The vehicle is a write-off and will have to be scrapped."

A spokesman for Kidderminster firefighters said two crews had spent two hours tackling the blaze.

"There's no way it was started accidentally," he added.