A MAN has told a jury he was not responsible for starting major fires which broke out at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. 

One of the blazes that 24-year-old Benjamin Taylor is accused of setting caused around £500,000 of damage to a workshop in which he worked as a engineer. 

This fire, on March 28, 2013, almost destroyed the historic tourist attraction, which is home to the popular "La'al Ratty" rail line. 

Taylor denies being responsible for three fires on that site, along with three other incidents which occurred on separate occasions in Whitehaven in late 2012 and 2013. He has gone on trial at Carlisle Crown Court. 

Yesterday he gave evidence in his defence, and maintained that he was not to blame for the fires. 

Taylor was questioned in detail about each of the incidents by his defence barrister, Mr Brendan Burke. 

He admitted raising the alarm about fires which broke out in the paint store, a mess room and, finally, the engineers' workshop.

These occurred on separate dates in the space of less than four months. 

In relation to the paint store blaze, which caused £50,000-worth of damage, Mr Burke said to Taylor: "The prosecution are saying you were just pretending to discover it because you had, in fact, started the fire." 

"No," Taylor stated. 

Moving on to the mess room fire, Mr Burke said: "What is being discussed, this is another case of you starting off a fire to appear like the hero." 

Again, Taylor responded: "No." 

That was also his reply when Mr Burke referred to alleged blame for the workshop blaze which prompted "massive attendance" by fire crews.

Jurors were told of Taylor's "passion" for the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. 

His two grandfathers and his father were all volunteers there before he joined from school at the age of 16. 

He eventually became an engineer after serving a three-year apprenticeship. 

During two-and-a-half hours in the witness box, Taylor also denied starting separate fires in a kitchen and a detached garage at Lakeland Avenue in Whitehaven. 

Neither was he responsible, he stated, for damage to a rescue vehicle at the town's lifeboat station, where he was a volunteer. 

"Did you start any fires deliberately," asked Mr Burke. 

"No," replied Taylor, of Whole House Road, Seascale. 

The trial continues.