ABOUT 750 tonnes of straw worth £40,000 was destroyed in an arson attack in Bordesley on Friday night.

Four fire crews and two water carriers were drafted in to deal with the blaze, which began in Weights Lane at about 10.30pm and continued for the next two days.

It was finally brought under control on Saturday night.

A fire service spokesman said: "We had about 50 duplicate calls from people who had driven past and seen the flames.

"In the end, we had to ask the fire crews to put their blue lights on so people could see they were there dealing with the fire."

Esso bosses were called in to carry out safety checks on a nearby oil pipeline which runs to Birmingham Airport and Railtrack closed off the railway line because there was concern the fire would spread.

Overhead power lines were also isolated.

"It was quite complicated because of the discovery of underground pipes and power cables which caused some problems," added the spokesman.

Fire crews were still on the scene yesterday damping down.

Police are treating the fire as arson and are appealing for anyone with information to call 08457 444888 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.