Family devastated after home destroyed by fire

One of the residents said she was left feeling "utterly devastated"

A family said they were in "disbelief and shock" after their village home and all their belongings were destroyed in a fire.

Fire crews were called to The Lankets, Badsey, near Evesham, Worcestershire, at about 20:00 BST on Thursday and took nearly two hours to put the blaze out.

Three buildings were damaged by the fire, the brigade said.

Sarah Baldock, whose house the fire was believed by the fire service to have started in, said she was "utterly devastated" not just for her family but for her neighbours.

Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester, Ms Baldock said: "Disbelief and shock.

"I am utterly devastated, not only for my own family but also for our lovely neighbours who have also lost so much.

"Although our property and belongings are completely lost, the fact that no-one was injured and no houses beyond the initial three were affected is an absolute blessing.

"The concern and kindness by friends, family, local businesses and local people has been amazing and has meant so much to us.

"Massive thanks to all the emergency workers who were involved, you all have our immense gratitude."

Neil, a resident, said it did not surprise him to see the community of Badsey come together for those affected

Neil, a resident, said: "It was extremely severe, the firemen struggled to contain it because the amount of water that was needed and the intense heat.

"We have never seen anything like this in the village and it was quite a shock and it made us stay up all night."

Multiple fundraisers have been created for the households affected with more than £10,000 pledged.

One of the people to donate money was Dan Westwood from Badsey Butchers.

"As a community it is our job to all chip together and help each other where we can and do what we can to support each other," he said.

Dan Westwood, from Badsey Butchers, said it was the community's job to help those affected

A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed nobody was hurt in the fire and when its crews arrived, everyone had managed to get out of their homes.

Police said they were called to help evacuate neighbouring properties.

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