A Selby couple whose workshop and classic car were destroyed by fire believe it was started by arsonists.

It took firefighters three hours to extinguish the flames as the blaze ripped through the 60ft by 30ft workshop, in Chapel Yard, off Millgate, Selby.

The building and a 1965 Morris Minor 1000 Traveller, which was inside, were gutted - and so were owners Brian and Sheila Newsome.

Mr Newsome, a builder and joiner, has had the workshop since 1981 when he set up his own business.

Mrs Newsome, of Larkfield Road, Selby, said today: "There's no doubt in our minds that it was an arson attack.

"The firefighters had to break into the workshop because the locks were still intact.

"A skylight on the roof was broken, and we can only assume that someone threw something through it.

"Brian was in the process of moving to another workshop on the old Selby shipyard site. The only thing of any worth left inside was the Morris Minor.

"The building has now had to be demolished - we're gutted."

Mr Newsome said he was in the process of restoring the light blue car when it went up in flames.

He said: "We had it stripped down and had started making the new woodwork for it. It would have been really nice when it was finished.

"There have been a lot of problems in the area with drug addicts. We believe the fire was definitely started deliberately."

The blaze was spotted by a neighbour who alerted the emergency services just after 1am on Saturday.

Anyone with information about the fire should contact Selby police on 01757 702596.

Selby fire station sub officer Rob Horton said the cause was still being investigated.

Updated: 15:04 Tuesday, May 21, 2002