Dorset fire crews tackle farmhouse thatch blaze

Firefighters stripped the thatch from the roof to get to the fire

About 50 firefighters have tackled a fire at a thatched farmhouse in west Dorset.

Crews were called to the property in Eype, near Bridport, at about 1400 BST.

Extra crews and assistance from Devon and Somerset Fire Service were drafted in through the afternoon as the fire spread to the whole of the thatch roof.

The cause of the fire, which began outside the building, is under investigation. It is not thought to be suspicious.

The fire was extinguished after three hours but crews remained at the scene to damp down.