Three boys arrested after Paignton train station fire

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.