Three boys arrested after station fire

Three boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a major fire that tore through Paignton railway station.

British Transport Police said the boys, aged 13, 15 and 16, were arrested in the Paignton area on Tuesday evening and taken into custody to be questioned by detectives. They were later released on conditional bail while inquiries continued, officers said.

The arrests came after the blaze ripped through the station building, prompting a large emergency response and widespread disruption to rail services.

There were no reports of any injuries, but rail passengers have been warned no trains were due to run to Paignton on Wednesday.

Seven fire crews were sent to the scene at the height of the incident, which saw emergency services alerted at about 05:45 BST on Tuesday.

The blaze forced the cancellation of train services between Newton Abbot and Paignton and led to road closures in the town centre.

Great Western Railway said services from Exmouth would terminate at Newton Abbot, while a limited shuttle train service would operate between Newton Abbot and Torquay, calling at Torre.

Rail replacement buses have also been running between Newton Abbot and Paignton via Torre and Torquay.

Train tickets are being accepted at no extra cost on several local Stagecoach bus routes serving destinations including Exeter, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Torquay and Paignton.

On Tuesday, Daryn McCombe, Network Rail and Great Western Railway's network operations director, described the station as "a familiar landmark at the heart of the town, and we understand that many people will be affected by the scenes this morning". He added: "We share that sense of loss and are determined to do everything we can to restore services as quickly as possible."

Specialist teams have been carrying out inspections of the damaged station building and surrounding railway infrastructure, which are required before services can fully resume.

Detectives have appealed for information.

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