A man has denied arsons at three rural properties which caused more than £680,000 worth of damage and killed dozens of pigs.

Jordan Chenery, 22, has been charged with three counts of arson following fires at storage barn at Deal House Farm in Bressingham, near Diss, on September 26 last year when £560,000 worth of damage was caused after the barn and farm machinery were destroyed and 50 pigs were killed.

The other counts of arson include at pear Tree Farm near Diss, where £54,625 worth of damage is said to have been done to a barn containing hay on September 27 last year, and at Boyland Hall at Bressingham on October 3 last year when £75,000 worth of damage was said to have been done to a barn containing straw.

Chenery, formerly of Tudor Avenue, Roydon, near Diss, who gave his current address as being at Basildon in Essex, appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Friday, March 5 when he entered not guilty pleas to all three charges.

The case was sent to Norwich Crown Court to be dealt with after magistrates deemed their powers to be insufficient to deal with it.

Chenery was granted unconditional bail.