Antique Derbyshire railway carriage destroyed in fire

The carriage had been earmarked for restoration

Derbyshire train enthusiasts described a fire that destroyed a train carriage dating back to the 1870s as "dreadful".

The carriage at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley near Ripley was found on fire on Saturday evening.

A Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said an investigation had started into its cause, which was being treated as suspicious.

Alan Calladine from the Midland Railway Trust said the loss of the carriage was "appalling".

"It is a vehicle that has survived since the 1870s - it wasn't in brilliant condition but it had survived and to see it now in this state is dreadful," he said.

"Our plans of restoring it have now gone completely," he added.