EMERGENCY services were called to Hatherleigh at around 8.50pm on Tuesday, December 23, after a fire broke out at the George Hotel in Bridge Street.

A call was received which stated that there was a fire upstairs at the hotel. A fire brigade appliance from Hatherleigh and two appliances from Okehampton were sent to the location.

On arrival it became apparent to officers that the thatch roof was involved in the fire and Watch Commander Drew called for more back-up, bringing the number of appliances at the scene to six.

The fire spread to more of the roof and the officer in charge requested a total of twenty fire engines.

The roof was completely destroyed by fire, and the remainder of the building was severely damaged. Officers used eighteen breathing apparatus, four jets, two aerial monitors and two hose reels to tackle the blaze and damp down the area. A salvage operation was also carried out in the adjacent buildings.

Hatherleigh town centre was closed to allow the firefighting operation to take place. An emergency rest centre was set up in the Hatherleigh Community Centre for those affected in the area.

A police spokesman said the hotel was believed to be empty at the time, and there were no known casualties. Inquiries are continuing into the cause of the fire.