ARSONISTS started a fire immediately outside a commercial unit on a Kingsteignton industrial estate on Monday evening.

Police and firefighters were called to the premises on the Rydon industrial estate where cardboard and fireworks were set alight outside a fire door just before 7.30pm.

Three fire crews attended the incident behind the Tesco superstore - two from Newton Abbot and one from Torquay.

A fire spokesman confirmed that fireworks and pieces of cardboard had been deliberately ignited outside the unit. Police were alerted.

Fortunately the fire had nearly burned itself out when firefighters arrived at the scene.

A hosereel jet was used to extinguish what remained of the blaze which caused heat damage to the door.

It’s understood a group of youngsters had been seen playing around at the site moments before the fire was spotted.

The alarm was raised by a member of the public who saw smoke coming from the area behind the Tesco store.