CUSTOMERS had to be evacuated from a market town pub after a fan caught fire and set alight to the lounge.

Around 30 firefighters were called to The Cock Inn, George Street, Hadleigh, shortly before 7pm after receiving reports of a blaze at the front of the building.

When they arrived they found the pub heavily smoke logged and had to cut away the internal ceiling and wall to stop the blaze spreading.

A large crowd gathered to watch them work, many of whom had been evacuated from the premises after the extraction fan caught alight.

Ray Dean and Andrea Kearton own the pub and watched on in shock as their business went up in flames.

Mr Dean said: “I can't put how I feel into words. It's not a nice thing. The pub will be back to how it was - it just takes time.”

Miss Kearton said: “I'm gutted. You never think it will happen. I'm just glad the mangers are out safely, it couldn't have been nice for them.”

Assistant Divisional Officer Gary Clark said crews from Hadleigh, Ipswich and Sudbury attended the incident, along with the turntable ladder.

“The fire started in an extraction fan at the front of the premises,” he said. “It has spread to the under side of the first floor and into the internal wall void and then into the roof.

“It has affected about two thirds of the front of the premises. The public had to be evacuated as a result but no one was hurt.

“Hadleigh were the first crew at the scene and their fast response and hard work prevented the fire spreading to the rest of the building.”

The fire was extinguished by 8pm.