A MAN has been detained under the mental health act today after a fire badly damaged a Suffolk cottage.

A MAN has been detained under the mental health act today after a fire badly damaged a Suffolk cottage.

The 48-year-old man was detained by police officers after three fire crews were called to the picturesque seaside resort of Thorpeness, near Leiston, at about 2.25am today.

The fire started on the ground floor of the two-storey terrace house in Old Homes Road and destroyed the building's front door and windows.

The windows are now boarded up and a charred pile of belongs have been piled up outside the front of the cottage.

Paramedics, police officers and fire crews from Leiston, Saxmundham and Aldeburgh attended the scene, but no-one was found inside the house and there were no injuries in the blaze.

Firefighters battled the flames and it was brought fully under control by 3.30am.

The fire is not being treated as a crime by Suffolk police.

Neighbours spoke about the fire this morning.

Nick Tizzard, who lives three doors from the fire, said: “At about 3am we were woken by some neighbours who told us they could see smoke coming from the house a few doors down.

“We went around to the front and there were flames coming from the ground floor.

“My partner and I have three children and as we live in a wooden house at the end of the terrace our first thoughts were to get the children away. My partner took the children to a relative's elsewhere in Thorpeness.

“We were for a while concerned that the fire might spread through the terrace as it was thought the cottages have inter-connecting loft spaces and that our house could be threatened, but the fire crews were excellent and got it under control.”

He added: “I do not know the man who lives there, other than having seen him about, he kept himself to himself.”

Other neighbours described the man whose house was damaged by the fire as quiet, intelligent and well spoken.

Builder Carl Allen, who is working in the adjoining terrace house, said: “We had already gutted the house and thankfully there is no damage to this side other than a very strong smell of burning.”