Stockton house roof badly damaged by fire

Cleveland Fire Brigade was called to the Glebe Estate at about 13:20 BST

The roof of a house in Stockton has been badly damaged by fire.

Cleveland Fire Brigade said it was called to Ashton Road on the Glebe Estate shortly after 13:20 BST on Friday.

A neighbour said she raised the alarm after seeing smoke billowing out from beneath solar panels on the roof.

A fire brigade spokesman said an investigation would be carried out to try and determine the cause. It is understood no-one was injured.

A woman who lives nearby told BBC Radio Tees she was in her back garden when she smelled smoke.

A neighbour said she saw smoke billowing out from beneath solar panels

She said: "I just saw smoke billowing out from underneath the solar panels.

"So I knocked on the door, the [owner] came out and at that point we could also see flames coming from the rooftop."

The woman said there was "a lot of damage" and there was "no way" the occupants could live there "the way it is now".

She said: "They'll be devastated. I'm devastated for them."