Henley Standard

A fire which tore through South Oxfordshire District Council's offices is now under control, external, according to Oxfordshire County Council.

Helen Catt
Political reporter, BBC Radio Oxford

The leader of South Oxfordshire District Council says it's working to get services "back up to speed as quickly as possible".

Both South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council say housing benefit payments should be made as normal, but other housing services could be affected.

Councillor John Cotton says: "Many of the services of the district council have not been affected."

Adina Campbell
Reporter, BBC South Today

I've been at the press conference about the fires, where police said gas canisters were found in the car which had ploughed into the front of the South Oxfordshire District Council offices.

Police say there are no links to terrorism.

Oxford Mail

A man has been arrested after major fires ripped through buildings at three locations, external just miles apart from each other in Oxforshire.

The police and fire service are continuing to work in Roke Marsh on making the area safe after three fires in south Oxfordshire overnight.

Supt Andy Boyd told a press conference: "There is some activity ongoing at Roke Marsh at the moment, where we are making an address safe.

"We are searching another address at the moment at Roke, and the bomb squad were called as there are gas canisters are that premises."

West Oxfordshire District Council tweets, external: Saddened to hear of the fire @SouthOxon, external DC offices & nearby properties today. We're offering support wherever poss

There is still disruption on the roads caused by today's fires at both Crowmarsh and Roke.

For the latest, go to the BBC Travel site.

Phil Mercer
Newsreader, BBC Radio Oxford

A fourth property is being searched after three separate blazes in south Oxfordshire.

Join me for the latest at 14:00.

BBC Radio Oxford

The three fires in south Oxfordshire are being treated as a "criminal act, not terrorism", Supt Andy Boyd from Thames Valley Police has said.

He went on to say that there were no reports of injuries, but 30 people from Roke Marsh had been evacuated from their homes.

Ian Negus, who lives near the council building, took a number of pictures, external of the fire at South Oxfordshire District Council buildings and described the scene when the blaze was at its height.

Image source, Ian Negus

He said: "I heard a lot of crackling, a lot of popping, looked out of the window and there were 60ft flames coming from the council building. A car had driven into the foyer and that whole area was lit up, absolutely ablaze.

"What happened then was the wind was coming in across the field, which really engulfed the flames, and actually then half the building now has been destroyed."

The fires in south Oxfordshire have affected nearby roads with roads near Roke junction closed, and Benson Lane in Crowmarsh Gifford closed between the Street junction and the A4074 junction.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest on the BBC Travel website.

BBC Radio Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford will have live coverage of the police and fire service press conference from Crowmarsh Gifford.

You can listen live here.

Laura Higgins tweets, external: @edvaizey, external @SouthOxon, external Started my working life at SODC, very sad :-(

Emma's crafty Kids tweets, external: @SouthOxon, external Hope nobody has been injured and wishing you all the best getting up and running properly xxx

Lee Duddell tweets, external: Gutted to hear of the @SouthOxon, external fire. Have worked with many people there, pleased nobody hurt.

Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live

Oxfordshire Fire Service and Thames Valley Police will now hold a press conference on the three south Oxfordshire fires at 13:30, slightly later than originally planned.

Supt Andy Boyd, the local policing area commander for South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, will be joined by chief fire officer David Etheridge.

We'll have all the top updates here on Local Live.

Ed Vaizey tweets, external: Shocked by fire @SouthOxon, external offices, glad there appear to be no injuries, thanks once again to emergency services for their excellent work

Phil Mercer
Newsreader, BBC Radio Oxford

Three fires in south Oxfordshire are now under control, according to the fire and rescue service.

Join me for the latest at 13:00.

BBC Radio Oxford

An army bomb disposal team has been involved with making three fires in south Oxfordshire safe according to the chief fire officer of Oxfordshire.

David Etheridge told BBC Radio Oxford's Howard Bentham that he believed gas cylinders had been used in all three fires.

He said: "There has been the potential that gas cylinders have been used, and we have the ability to call upon our colleagues in bomb disposal just to make sure that the scene is maintained in terms of a safe area."

Thames Valley Police tweets, external: We are holding a press conference at the scene of the fire @southoxon, external , Benson Lane, Crowmarsh, Gifford, at 1pm today

BBC Radio Oxford

The fires at three south Oxfordshire locations are now under control, according to David Etheridge, the county's chief fire officer.

He told BBC Radio Oxford: "We're in the damping down turning over phase, making sure that the fire is completely out and that the fire investigation will take place."

He added: "We will try and bring normality to the area as quickly as we can."