Wooden pallets and materials from a skip are believed to have been used in an arson attack on a Bradford food factory.

Detectives investigating the fire at Parkam Chilled Foods in Wibsey believe that was how the blaze started.

Police will be working alongside fire officers carrying out an investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident. Damage to the food processing plant in Haycliffe Lane runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds, police have said.

The fire is understood to have been started by arsonists when materials in a skip and wooden pallets close to metal railings at the back of the building were set alight.

Parkam Chilled Foods was founded in 1983 and the Bradford factory is one of Parkam Food Group’s five sites in the UK. The Bradford site is understood to employ more than 250 people.

The food group provides beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken and duck products, supplying major retailers with pre-packaged, deli and rotisserie items.

More than 50 firefighters spent five hours battling the flames which spread to the plant’s main single-storey building early on Saturday.

A fifth of the factory was destroyed.

Part of the roof caved in and ten crews were in attendance at the peak of the fire. Some firefighters remained at the scene in the afternoon dampening down.

The emergency service’s initial response to the incident was hampered by the snow which made it tricky for fire engines to be manoeuvred and water being used to tackle the flames was freezing.

Councillor David Green, who is Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration and economy said: “We will do what we can to help the company get up and running again.”

And Councillor Lynne Smith (Lab, Wibsey) said: “I’m sure there will be people who live in Wibsey who work there. It’s dreadful this has happened, especially before Christmas.”

Witnesses or anyone with any information about the fire should contact Bradford South CID via 0845 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.