Tern Hill house wrecked by blaze

More than 30 firefighters were today battling a severe fire at a house in north Shropshire which broke out in the early hours.

The blaze at the home in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, engulfed the house shortly before 5.30am, and took hold of the ground floor, first floor and the roof.

No-one was believed to be in the house when the fire broke out, and firefighters remained at the scene today trying to bring the flames under control. A spokeswoman for Shropshire Fire and Rescue said the cause was not yet known.

She said the fire in a property off the A53 near the Tern Hill roundabout was being brought under control. She added: "It is a two-storey property and the ground floor, first floor and roof are all involved. We don't believe anyone was in the house at the time."

Crews from Hodnet, Market Drayton, Prees, Wem, Tweedale and Shrewsbury attended the scene, along with an aerial ladder platform from Shrewsbury, a water carrier from Oswestry and three officers from Shrewsbury.