Around 80 firefighters have tackled a blaze at a historic 17th-century pub near Newmarket today.

Crews from Suffolk and Cambridgeshire were called to The Blackbirds Inn at Woodditton around 10am this morning after the thatched roof caught fire.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews from Cambridge, Burwell, St Neots, and Huntingdon, along with crews from Mildenhall, Newmarket, Wickhambrook and Haverhill in Suffolk, attended the fire.

“Firefighters arrived to find a well-developed fire at the Blackbirds Inn pub. The property had a thatch roof, so the fire rapidly spread through the building.

“Crews remain at the scene to ensure the fire is fully extinguished and doesn’t spread to any other buildings.”