Fire destroys Arkesden pub roof and first floor

Several relief crews had to be brought in throughout the day and overnight to tackle the blaze

The roof and first floor of a pub were destroyed in a blaze that broke out just before lunch on Mother's Day.

The fire at the Axe and Compasses on Main Street, Arkesden in north Essex, took hold at about 11:40 BST on Sunday.

Essex fire service said 100% of the building's thatched roof was alight when crews arrived, and it later collapsed.

At the height of the blaze, nine crews tackled the fire and crews remained at the scene monitoring hot spots.

The roof fell in at about 17:00 BST, the fire service said

Incident commander Craig McLelland said: "Due to the thatched roof, the fire spread quickly, and unfortunately both the roof and first floor fell in.

"We'd like to thank members of the local community who were on-hand to collect furniture salvaged by our firefighters to a designated safe space away from the building.

"When disaster strikes, it's heart-warming to see communities come together to make a positive difference."

Crews from across Essex and Hertfordshire were sent to the scene

The roof collapsed and the first floor was also destroyed

Crews remained overnight and were still tackling hotspots within the building on Monday

The damage to the 17th Century inn was substantial

Mr McLelland said about 150 people were booked at the pub's restaurant for Mother's Day.

He added the cause of the fire seemed to be accidental, but a full investigation was under way.

Smoke could still be seen rising from the wrecked rooftops on Monday