TWO teenagers have been jailed for three and a half years after setting fire to a Grade II listed barn in Orford in March 2012.

Joshua Johnson, of Hindle Avenue, and Ryan Buckley, of Massey Avenue, Warrington, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to committing arson recklessly.

Sentencing the pair, who are both aged 18, judge Simon Killeen said: "You were both involved in destroying a large property by fire which you did deliberately, reckless as to whether life was endangered.

“You put at risk the lives of many people including firefighters who serve their community and put their lives on the line daily.”

At its height, the Orford Farm blaze on School Road was tackled by more than 30 firefighters causing £500,000 worth of damage and homes to be evacuated on nearby Primrose Close.

Mark Pollard, community fire protection officer and watch manager at Birchwood Fire Station, was one of the first on the scene.

He said: "This arson attack was of a very serious nature and has been particularly damaging to the local community and its heritage.

"We welcome today's sentencing and we will continue to investigate occurrences robustly and work with our partners with in Cheshire Police to ensure positive outcomes and ultimately reduce the level of this unacceptable activity within our community.”

PC Jayne Drum, of Warrington central neighbourhood policing unit, said she hoped the sentence would serve as a warning to others.

She added: "In this particular case a fire was deliberately started in a barn close to many other properties in the heart of a residential area.

“It is fortunate that no-one was injured as a result but the consequences could have potentially been far worse had the fire spread further and to other buildings in the area.”

Representatives from English Heritage said the building, which was completely destroyed, had been an important example of Cheshire and England's architectural heritage.

Anna Boxer, inspector of historic buildings and areas at English Heritage in the north west said: "Buildings of special architectural and historic interest are a fragile, finite and irreplaceable resource.

“The fire last year resulted in the complete and total loss of this significant building and so the loss of an important part of Cheshire's history.”

For the full court story, see this Thursday’s Warrington Guardian.