POLICE were today continuing investigations into suspicious caravan blazes at a travellers' site in Paignton.

It emerged yesterday that both vans destroyed in the Sunday afternoon blaze had been unoccupied for some time.

One owner has been traced, while the other has yet to be contacted.

A police spokesman confirmed that the fires — just 60 metres apart at the travellers' site on the old Nortel complex off the Brixham Road — are being treated as suspicious as they happened at the same time and so near to each other.

A gas cylinder in one of the vans exploded as the emergency services arrived at the scene after the alarm was raised just before 3pm on Sunday.

Both vans were destroyed in the blaze.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the incidents to contact them on 08452 777444, quoting log 646 of August 29.

A spokesman said: "We are not able to say how the fires started because any evidence was completely burnt out. There will be no supporting forensic evidence because the vans were so badly damaged."

Two fire crews from Paignton attended the incident where they used two hosereels to extinguish the blazes.

Thermal imaging cameras were also used to check the scene.

Fire investigators as well as police are making inquiries.

A CARAVAN was destroyed in a suspicious fire in Totnes early yesterday.

Arsonists are thought to be behind the blaze which destroyed a 10ft caravan in the car park of the derelict Smugglers pub in Steamer Quay Road.

Neighbours raised the alarm just before 1am.

A fire crew from the town attended the scene where they used two hosereels and a main jet to tackle the flames.

"Watch commander Paul Chambers said: "The fire was going end to end when we arrived. It also damaged about half of a 25ft-high fir tree."

A gas cylinder was recovered from the van before it had a chance to explode.

The cylinder was cooled down in a water dam constructed by the fire crew.

Mr Chambers said it appeared the caravan had not been occupied for at least a fortnight, which fuelled suspicions the blaze was of doubtful origin.

"It was fortunate that the gas cylinder did not explode," he added.