POLICE have arrested a man after an arson attack which destroyed seven Somerset Council minibuses on the Silk Mills park and ride site in Taunton.

They took the man into custody during Thursday (August 24), several hours after the fire in a locked council compound on the bus site.

He was later released on conditional bail and police continued to make inquiries into the incident.

An appeal for witnesses was renewed on Friday and police said they would still like to hear from anybody who was in the Silk Mills Road area between midnight and 2 am on Thursday.

They are especially interested to see dashcam or other footage that people might have from the time.

A Wellington fire crew helped tackle the early hours blaze together with two Taunton pumps but could not prevent the row of parked minibuses being completely burnt out.

The compound was locked and was being monitored with CCTV cameras.

Nobody was injured in the incident and park and ride buses were not affected, while the council said it had managed to keep its services running and was looking for replacement vehicles before the school term started in early September.

Avon and Somerset Police said anybody who might be able help with the investigation should call 101 and give the reference 5223204747.

Alternatively, they could anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or going online.