Historic country house hit by blaze

Firefighters battled through the early hours of Thursday to stop the fire spreading into other parts of the home in The Street. It caused some damage to the adjoining house.

Nearby roads leading to the building, which dates back to the 13th century, were closed and children at Thakeham First School were given the day off.

Smoke triggered a fire alarm at 3.20am and all the occupants escaped uninjured but were treated for the effects of breathing in smoke.

Sue Jarman, who lives opposite, said: "I was woken up by the smell of smoke and all the noise at 3.30am. I was really frightened.

"It was scary because the fire engines were at the end of my drive and there was a lot of shouting. I was in a bit of a state and shaken.

"There were flames leaping out of the roof. It was one of the oldest buildings, if not the oldest, in the village."

It was believed the fire started due to an electrical fault in the roof, but fire officers were still investigating the cause.

Fire spokesman Gary Towson said: "It is sad to see such a lovely old building damaged by fire and the owners are very upset. But hopefully, as we managed to confine the majority of the fire to the roof area, it can be reconstructed."