A COUPLE told of their devastation after the home they built was destroyed in an arson attack just weeks after it was completed.

Philip Nash and Kelly Byrne were putting the finishing touches to their dream home on Lower Stoneham Farm, near Lewes, after 18 months of hard work, when it was targeted yesterday morning.

A separate barn on their land, which had been previously targeted last month, was also set on fire for the second time.

Police arrested a 53-year-old man on suspicion of arson and an attempted burglary nearby yesterday.

He remained in custody as The Argus went to press last night.

Mr Nash, 56, who owns the farm, was asleep in a different property on the site, when a neighbour called at 4.15am to alert him the converted barn worth £700,000 was on fire.

He told The Argus: "I went outside and could see a glow in the distance and blue lights.

"I shouted to Kelly, 'The house is on fire'. It was huge, like the sun coming up, a giant glow on the horizon."

He ran down to the farm entrance, where the new-build was ablaze, describing the first sight as "just utter shock".

Mr Nash added: "I suddenly had a premonition while we were down at the barn conversion, so I ran back home and the other barn [that was previously targeted] was alight."

Mr Nash summoned firefighters from the main blaze, who used buckets of water to put out the second fire.

His partner Miss Byrne, who turns 40 on Tuesday, said they had intended to move in to their new home two weeks ago with their teenager daughters.

She said: "It was horrific, an inferno. We could have been in there.

"I'm just numb. We feel scared now - we are living in fear."

At the height of the blaze there were five fire engines fighting flames being fanned by the wind. Fire investigators are looking into how the fire was started.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: "A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, burglary and possession of cannabis after a barn and a barn conversion were set on fire. No one was in the properties at the time.

“Police also received a report of a burglary at a house at Four Winds, Cooksbridge, at 5.25am. The occupant confronted a man who broke in through a kitchen window. He then left the house.

"Police carried out a search and a 53-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested nearby. He is in custody for questioning.”

Regarding the previous barn fire on April 19, the spokeswoman added: “A 53-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at a barn at Lower Stoneham Farm, Stoneham, Lewes. He was released without further action due to a lack of evidence.”