Roads closed as firefighters tackle large blaze

More than 50 firefighters from across Wiltshire have been called to the fire near Lacock

A village in Wiltshire has been closed off due to a large fire at a thatched property.

The blaze broke out in Bowden Hill, near Lacock, at about 15:00 BST.

The village and several nearby roads are closed, including Melksham Road, West Street, Lower Woodrow Road and Bewley Lane.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said more than 50 firefighters were called to the blaze, including crews from Chippenham, Calne, Devizes, Trowbridge, Westbury, Malmesbury, Melksham, Bradford-on-Avon, Westlea and Amesbury.

The road from St Anne's Church to the junction with Forest Lane has also been declared inaccessible, although residents are allowed to come in and out.

Wayne Jones, group manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service told the BBC at the scene there had been "significant damage to the roof area", adding that it was "too early" to determine a cause.

One person had been in the property when the fire started, he said, and had been assessed by the ambulance service at the scene.

Mr Jones said road closures around the site of the fire could remain in place overnight

Mr Jones said firefighters had been able to salvage "the majority" of the building's contents.

At the height of the incident, he said, 13 fire engines and a number of support vehicles had been at the scene, with firefighters taking water from a nearby river to avoid putting "too much pressure on the hydrants in the local area".

Crews were likely to remain on the scene "probably for the majority of the night" to make sure the thatch had been fully dampened down, with road closures potentially in place through Tuesday's morning rush hour, he added.

Road closures around the scene are expected to remain in place overnight

An aerial ladder platform from Swindon and support appliances from Salisbury and Corsham were also called to the scene.

The fire service said thatch had been stripped from the roof, with jets and compressed air foam used to put out the fire.

Wiltshire Police has warned surrounding roads will likely remain closed until Tuesday morning due to the number of emergency service vehicles at the scene.

The force advised people to avoid the area and asked residents living nearby to keep their doors and windows closed.