A millionaire and his family were missing today after their country house was burned down in a suspected arson attack.

Police launched a major investigation following the blaze in Maesbrook, near Oswestry, Shropshire, which broke out shortly before 5am yesterday.

It is not known if Jillian and Christopher Foster and their teenage daughter Kirsty were in Osbaston House at the time of the fire, but all three remained unaccounted for today.

The country house, which has a stable block and kennels, is reportedly worth at least £1.2 million. Due to the severity of the fire, officers have been unable to enter the property but a full search will take place when the scene is deemed safe, police said.

CCTV footage has been recovered from the property and around 80 officers and staff are working on the investigation, named Operation Feedback.

Detective Superintendent Jon Groves, from West Mercia Constabulary’s Major Incident Unit, said: “There was a CCTV system at the property, which has been recovered by officers and will be examined over the coming days.

“The house, a garage and stable block and another outbuilding were severely damaged.Two horses in the stable and another in the outbuilding have been found dead. Two dogs, which we believe were in a kennel block, are missing. A search will be carried out of the property to establish if anybody was inside as soon as the building is deemed to be safe."

Mr Foster is a multi-millionaire businessman who made his fortune developing insulation technology for oil rigs. A friend said that he had recently expressed concerns about the credit crunch.

The road leading to the family home remained cordoned off today and a police helicopter was circling above. One of the nearest neighbours, who lives around a mile away, said that Mr Foster often used to go shooting with friends in the local area.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “It is very, very weird. We have not heard anything. We don’t know whether they were in there or not. I just hope they are all safe.”

The Fosters’ large home, which has electronic gates, is set in a tiny rural area called The Wood, which is near the village of Maesbrook.

Miranda Lawson, who lives in a detached house nearby, said the Fosters’ home also had a barn and 15 acres of land surrounding it. She said that when it was put on the market temporarily by the family about five years ago the whole estate was valued at £1.25 million.

She said “I don’t know them at all really. I used to see the woman’s 4x4 sometimes, which had the registration plate JILL 40. I’ve never spoken to her though.”

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