A REWARD is being offered for information about sick' arsonsists who set fire to kennels killing seven dogs.

The £1,250 has been put up by the family of the dogs' owner, farmer James Blake, whose two young children Grace, 14, and Jodie, seven, have been devastated by the deaths; and an anonymous donor.

Five border terriers and two sheepdogs died in the attack on Tuesday night.

Terriers Tim, ten, Topsy, seven, her two pups Jazz and Misty, three, and Biscuit, ten months, were killed, along with the farm dogs, when arsonists torched their kennels at Heckenhurst Farm, Worsthorne, shortly before 10pm.

Mr Blake's mother-in-law, Susan Parnell, of Newport, South Wales, has offered the cash reward to try and catch the arsonists.

She said: "How do you explain to a seven and 14-year-old that their dogs have been murdered? It's terrible.

"I can't believe that somebody would do something so awful, so I am putting up the reward which I will give to anyone who can give police the information they need to arrest and convict the person responsible."

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Mr Blake said he had been told by fire crews that the blaze was likely to be arson.