AN ARSON investigation is under way after thousands of pounds of plastic shelving were destroyed in a fire.

Vandals are believed to have set light to wooden pallets and rubbish taken from bins near factories on the Hillmead Industrial Estate, in West Swindon.

The sides of a secure shipping container outside Hillmead Joinery at the industrial estate were scorched by the flames.

Acrylic sheeting being stored inside was melted by the heat coming from outside the container, but the cardboard boxes in which they were stored remained intact.

The damage, estimated at about £20,000, was discovered when factory employees turned up for work on Monday morning.

Site manager Keith Honour said: "It must have started between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning.

"When we got in at about 7am it was all like that, but the fire was well and truly out.

"I think the police were told about it by a driving instructor taking a lesson around here at the weekend.

"The police came out and spent quite a long time down here, at least two hours. They checked the CCTV next door, but I don't think it was pointing in the right direction to catch anything.

"There are two containers side by side. In the one nearest the fire everything is totally ruined. The acrylic has totally melted.

"In the second one, which doesn't look too bad, there is some more damage and even the stuff furthest away is slightly warped."

The factory makes the acrylic sheets to be used in shop shelving, but they were wrecked in the fire.

Police spokesman Martin Dunscombe said: "We were called to the premises just after eight o'clock following reports of a fire over the weekend.

"It looks like someone set fire to containers at the back of the premises and some stock was damaged as a result.

"The fire service attended and at the moment we are treating it as arson."

A spokesman for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said: "We went out there on Monday morning, just after eight o'clock. The fire was already out so there wasn't anything for us to do and will be investigated by the police."

Anyone with any information, or who has seen anything suspicious in the Hillmead area, is urged to call the police on 0845 4087000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.