A Herald photographer covering Ottery St Mary s tar barrels has revealed he saw a youngster running around and spraying with a can - only to learn later that someone had thrown an aerosol at a flaming barrel, causing an explosion.

A Herald photographer covering Ottery St Mary's tar barrels has revealed he saw a youngster running around and spraying with a can - only to learn later that someone had thrown an aerosol at a flaming barrel, causing an explosion.

Said photographer Alex Walton: "A youngster was randomly spraying a can of some sort. I am not sure if he was the culprit.

"I thought it was 'fart gas' in a can because there was an odd smell.

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