FOUR young children died in a house fire in a village last night, police said today.

Emergency services were called to a house in Hulland Ward, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire, at 11.30pm.

Derbyshire Police said that, when the blaze at the house in Highfield Road was extinguished, four children were found to have died.

A spokesman said there was also “significant damage” to the house.

“There is currently a joint investigation ongoing between Derbyshire Constabulary and Derbyshire Fire Service to establish the cause of the fire, which at this time is still unknown.”