FIREFIGHTERS spent three hours tackling a blaze which tore through a 60-tonne haystack in Levington today.Two retained crews from the Felixstowe station were dispatched to the Old Felixstowe Road at around 12.

FIREFIGHTERS spent three hours tackling a blaze which tore through a 60-tonne haystack in Levington today.

Two retained crews from the Felixstowe station were dispatched to the Old Felixstowe Road at around 12.46am after residents sounded the alarm.

Despite the mild and wet weather overnight, it took firefighters until 3.44am to finally bring the flames under control.

Today's fire was witnessed by Trimley resident Steve Doick, who captured the drama on camera.

Mr Doick, an IT worker, said as he was leaving the scene and driving home, he saw three youths running across the road and hiding in trees in the middle of a roundabout at one end of Trimley St Martin. He said he informed police who pursued the trio.

However, today, the fire service and police confirmed the fire was not being treated as suspicious and said no criminal investigation had been launched.

A Suffolk Fire Service spokesman said it was unclear as to exactly how the fire had started, but ruled out foul play.

The blaze follows a similar incident near Bucklesham primary school in Felixstowe Road yesterday .

A crew from Ipswich tackled two haystacks, both weighing around 48 tonnes, which were found well alight at around 12.10am. Again, the fire is not being treated as suspicious.

Meanwhile, a crew from headquarters in Ipswich's Colchester Road extinguished a van fire today.

At 5.37am, firefighters were dispatched to Bader Close, where they spent 40 minutes tackling the flames.

Did you witness the blaze? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk