Fire burns down 600-year-old inn

The hotel had a thatched roof which was engulfed by flames

A fire has destroyed much of a 15th Century thatched coaching inn in Devon.

Twelve fire appliances and two aerial platforms were called to the Grade II-listed George Hotel in Hatherleigh at about 2115 GMT on Tuesday.

The bar was thought to have been open at the time, but no-one is believed to have been injured. People were evacuated from nearby homes.

The roof was completely destroyed and the rest of the two-storey building severely damaged, fire crews said.

Safety concerns

Firefighters attempting to bring the blaze under control stayed at the cob-walled building in Market Street overnight.

Building control officers from West Devon Borough Council were called in to assist emergency crews at about 0100 GMT.

The town centre was closed and an emergency rest centre set up in the Hatherleigh Community Centre for those affected, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said crews were trying to rescue as much furniture and property as they could.

The fire service said: "The initial call came from the premises but no-one has been reported injured or missing."

The cob-walled building is thought to have opened in about 1450

One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: "I can see the flames, it's quite serious.

"The bar was open but not a lot of people were in there, which was quite lucky.

"The George is a major building in Hatherleigh."

The hotel has 11 guest rooms, but it is not known if anyone was staying there at the time.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Councillor Dennis Bater, who represents Hatherleigh on the borough council, said it was a "huge loss to the town".

The council's head of building control, Roger Collins, said: "We are trying to preserve as much of the building as possible but safety is our prime concern."