Man arrested after spate of fires in Oxfordshire

LONDON (Reuters) - A man was held on suspicion of arson on Thursday after a spate of fires across Oxfordshire, including a blaze which devastated a council offices which police believe was started by a car being driven into the building. Firefighters said they were first called to a blaze at a thatched cottage shortly after 0300 before being alerted to more fires 10 minutes later at a funeral parlour and at South Oxfordshire District Council offices in Wallingford, south of Oxford. Police said they believed a car had "collided" with the office building before the fire started. "A 47-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and is currently in custody," Thames Valley Police said in a statement. "At this stage the police investigation is focussing on all three fires being linked and are believed suspicious." The police said it was believed to be a criminal act and not linked to "any terrorist activity". More than 20 fire engines were sent to tackle the blazes with witnesses reporting there were 60-foot high flames at the height of the fire at the council building. "Nobody is reported injured as a result of these fires, however following the fires the structures of the buildings are being examined," the police said. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)