ARSONISTS are thought to have caused a fire that razed an office building to the ground in the middle of the night.

The unused office building in Boston Drive, Bourne End, was destroyed after a suspected arson attack in the early hours of Saturday.

Firefighters from Beaconsfield and High Wycombe battled to contain the fire after receiving a call at 3.22am.

Adam Lock, 22, of Roman Way, Bourne End, was woken by the fire despite living more than quarter of a mile away.

He said: "I heard a crackling sound. It sounded like fireworks. I could see big flames from my bedroom window but I couldn't tell where they were coming from. I thought it was from a house or something."

He said: "The fire brigade were already there when I got down. Now there is absolutely nothing left."

Four jets and one turn-table ladder had to be used to tackle the blaze.

Firefighter John Taylor from Beaconsfield Fire Station said: "We did get the fire under control by about 4.40am but the building was totally destroyed. We have no details of how the fire started yet."

Buckinghamshire Fire Service later confirmed the blaze was a suspected arson attack and police are not ruling out a link between the incident and a fire at a Guide hut, in Bisham, on Thursday.