Sunderland grandad's chickens killed in suspected allotment arson

Alan Walker spent almost every day at his allotment after the death of his wife, his family said

An allotment taken on by a grandad after his wife died has been devastated by a fire that police suspect was started deliberately.

The blaze in South Hylton, Sunderland, at 05:00 GMT on Friday destroyed the plot Alan Walker, 69, has tended for a decade and killed his 30 chickens.

His grandson, Anth Bate, said nothing was left on the site except a corner where his grandfather kept pheasants.

"Everything else has just burned down," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

Mr Bate said his relative had taken on the Pottery Lane allotment "to keep his mind occupied" when his wife died 11 years ago.

"He goes down every day. He stays there until about four or five o'clock," he said.

"Last week he had just finished getting it to the standard where he wanted it."

Mr Bate said people had offered to "chip in" towards the cost of repairs and his grandad had been "blown away" by their kindness.

The blaze destroyed the allotment including the greenhouse

Mr Bate said his grandad was mostly upset about losing his birds.

"He loved his chickens," Mr Bate said.

"He said they could have opened the gate to set them free and then set it on fire."

A generator, expensive tools and equipment had also been taken from the allotment.

Mr Bate has set up an online fundraiser for his grandad and said he owed "a massive thank you" to the strangers who had already donated more than £1,300.

Northumbria Police said officers were trying to establish the cause of the fire but were treating it as suspected arson.

The force appealed for anyone with information to come forward.