The boss of a Bradford firm has offered a “substantial” reward for help in convicting arsonists who burned out a £330,000 demolition machine.

At least £100,000 of damage was caused to the state-of-the-art high-reach machine when it was set alight in Heckmondwike.

The vehicle, which belonged to Thomas Crompton, of Neville Road, Bowling, had been used to demolish a mill at the Flush Mills site in Westgate and was parked in a secure unit at the side of the road.

The arsonists also targeted another machine belonging to the firm, ripping out and stealing a computer, causing a further £5,000 of damage.

Police forensic experts have examined the vehicles and police are looking at CCTV footage of the site.

Company owner Thomas Crompton said he was waiting to hear whether the high-reach machine could be repaired or would be written off.

He said: “We are offering a substantial reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible. We don’t want to let our customers down and we have got a replacement machine coming from Belgium so that none of our contracts are affected.”

The arson attack was discovered yesterday – the day of the funeral of company employee Trevor Farr, whose body was found in a Bradford city centre fountain last month.

Mr Crompton said: “It was a day when we were already sad because we were burying one of our colleagues.”

Anyone with information about the arsonists, who struck at about 9pm on Monday, should contact Dewsbury CID on 0845 6060606.