The roof of a thatched cottage in West Oxfordshire has been destroyed by fire.

The blaze at the cottage in Chilson, near Ascott-under-Wychwood, broke out shortly before 5pm yesterday.

About 40 firefighters from across the county and further afield rushed to the fire, with Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service sending eight fire engines, a rescue vehicle and an aerial ladder platform.

When fire crews arrived they found the roof ablaze and worked tirelessly to fight the flames and to salvage items from inside, as well as stopping the fire spreading to adjoining houses.

There were no casualties or injuries.

Incident commander Jason Crapper paid tribute to Thames Valley Police, South Central Ambulance Service, the British Red Cross rapid relief team, Oxfordshire County Council and West Oxfordshire District Council, who worked together to extinguish the fire and deal with the aftermath.

He said: "It is really disappointing that we were not able to do more to prevent damage to the thatch roof itself.

"However, the firefighting crews did well to prevent fire spread to the two adjoining houses and to save a considerable number  of personal possessions from the property.”

Firefighters are still on scene carrying out damping down and removing debris from the building. 

A fire investigation team is investigating the cause of the fire, but it is thought to have started as a result of a chimney fire that spread to the thatch roof.