A MYSTERIOUS fire scuppered plans to turn a barge owned by Oxford University's Jesus College into a floating museum.

Police thought the blaze, which occurred in January 1988 near Folly Bridge, may have been started deliberately.

Firefighters were called to the incident at about 2am, but they arrived too late to prevent damage worth more than £20,000.

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The 70ft timber boat used to be a changing room for the university's rowing crews and there had been plans to use it for a rowing exhibition.

But the Trust for the Preservation of Oxford College Barges had to decide whether it was worth repairing.