MORE than £11,000 has been raised to help Bridgwater and Taunton College (BTC) and RJ Motorsport to 'get back on their feet' after a devastating huge fire destroyed its facilities.

Firefighters were called to the BTC campus in College Way, Bridgwater, at around 3.30am on February 18, with 15 fire crews from across the county attending the scene.

Motorsport and motorcycle training workshops on the campus were destroyed by the fire.

A man was been arrested on suspicion of arson but he has since been released under investigation and police have increased patrols in the area.

"A 27 year old man arrested in connection with the Bridgwater and Taunton College fire has been bailed with conditions that include a curfew. Enquiries are ongoing," said an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson.

"No arrests have been made yet in relation to the other fires in Somerset in recent days, but we’re continuing to investigate and patrols are being carried out in the relevant areas.

READ MORE: Man arrested on suspicion of arson after fire at Bridgwater and Taunton College

Since the fire a GoFundMe page, which was launched by Friends of Bridgwater and Taunton College RJ Motorsport, has raised more than £11,000.

The page was set up to help get the facilities back on their feet as quickly as possible after the fire so they can continue their work with the racing season starting again in just four weeks time.

The fundraising page says: "A devastating fire destroyed part of the Bridgwater and Taunton College facility on February 18.

"BTC motorsport department provides education and practical real world experience to young men and women who want to forge a career in professional motorsport. Course tutor Josh Smith set up a commercial arm called RJ Motorsport, who employs graduates to provide further work experience opportunities and has helped many start their careers in motorsport.

"They have lost a world class teaching facility and race workshop, which is used to prepare championship winning race cars.

"Nothing can replace the passion and effort that has gone into building up the facility, but your contribution will help BTC and RJ Motorsport get back on their feet quicker, so they can continue their great work - the racing season starts in four weeks time.

READ MORE: Huge fire at Bridgwater and Taunton College was started deliberately

"This fundraising was set up by customers of RJ Motorsport who appreciate and have counted on the professionalism and dedication of the BTC and RJ teams who have been devastated by the damage caused by the fire.

"The BTC is the beneficiary of the fund, and the college leadership will decide on precisely how the funds raised, will be used. It’s early days of course, but the priority of course will be to minimise the short term impact to students’ learning and to allow early commencement of practical work at this crucial and challenging time. "

BTC Principal and CEO, Andy Berry, said he was saddened to learn the fire has been confirmed as arson and was relieved no one was injured in the fire.

Mr Berry said: "Our focus now is to minimise the impact of the fire on our students. The Motorsport team are devastated, this team has a UK wide reputation for building and tuning the most amazing racing cars.

"It’s with great pride that they race, and win, at some of the greatest circuits in the UK. This experience supports our students to go onto some fantastic destinations from Formula 1 to rally teams and into advanced engineering roles in the motorsport supply chain.

"We aim to rebuild the facilities back to a world class standard. In the meantime, we will do our utmost to minimise the impact on our students, we have a number of workshops across our campuses, and we will be relocating students to continue their studies in line with the Covid guidelines.

"I have been bowled over by the love and support shown from our community and cannot thank them enough.

"I was amazed to see a go fund me page, created by members of the motorsport community to support the students affected by the fire, and we will ensure any funds raised will go directly to support students to complete their work and assignments which will help to mitigate the impact of the fire on their studies in what is already a challenging time."