Man starts fire at WA police station

A 52-year-old man has been charged after allegedly starting a fire outside a Perth police station which caused damage to brickwork and a wall.

Police say the man started the fire in an ashtray as he was sitting by the front doors of the Armadale Police Station just before 8pm on Wednesday.

He then removed foliage from the garden to place on the fire, causing the flames to increase in height to about two metres.

Officers in the station rushed out to extinguish the fire and charged the man with damage by fire.