Sir Anthony Hopkins' Oscar was among the mementoes saved when a fire broke out at the actor's house in west London.

Firefighters retrieved the trophy as they tackled the blaze on the Kensington property's second floor on Sunday.

Awards and other souvenirs charting Sir Anthony's screen and stage successes were scattered through the four-storey house, including the Academy Award for his performance in Silence of the Lambs.

It is understood his estranged wife Jenni still lives in the house despite Sir Anthony's move to Los Angeles in 1998.

The 62-year-old Welsh-born actor, who also starred in films such as The Remains of the Day and Shadowlands, bought the house with his wife in the mid-1990s.

A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said they had contained the fierce fire on the second floor after a 45-minute battle to save the rest of the house.

Prompt action

Assistant Division Officer Max Dissanayake said prompt action by firefighters had saved the building and most of its contents.

He said: "They arrived very quickly which was lucky because the fire had reached a stage whereby it had engulfed the room of origin and broken the windows.

"From that point, because of the direct flow of air, there is only a matter of minutes in which to save the property."

Between 15-20 firefighters attended the blaze after a neighbour raised the alarm at about 1300GMT.

In addition to the Oscar, Sir Anthony's performances have earned him two Baftas and two Emmys. It is not known which trophies were among those recovered.

Mr Dissanayake said: "According to the crews there were a lot of photos, awards and statuettes around the house, including the Oscar."

He confirmed the valuables had been removed to a safe place while investigations and a clean-up operation were under way.

Police are not treating the fire as suspicious.