A fire at the Bath television and radio transmitter in Bathampton which led to homes across the area receiving no signal this morning has been blamed on arsonists.
Courtesy of ukfree.tv
Homes that receive signal from the transmitter were cut off after the blaze which was reported to Avon Fire and Rescue at 5.45am this morning.
The fire brigade are saying that they believe the fire was caused deliberately and police are currently investigating at the scene.
The fire was discovered in three sheds at the base of the transmitter, all of which control the power and signal for the transmissions.
The transmitter, which is a light relay of the more powerful Mendip transmitter in Somerset, is being reported by BBC Reception as off-air for all television, BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 and Radio 4.
A team from the transmitter owner Arqiva are also at the site assessing the damage. In a statement released, they said: “Due to fire the electricity supply has been isolated meaning that services have been temporarily switched off to enable safety work to take place. We are working to get services back to normal once the fire and police authorities have finished their initial investigation. We understand that people in the locality will be experiencing a loss in services and we are working in getting the transmitter back in full service so that the Bath area transmissions can be resumed. Further information will follow as soon as it is made available.“
Most of Bath currently receives television signals from the Mendip transmitter directly rather than through Bath.
