FIRE investigators have been in a Suffolk village this weekend as they looked into the cause of a blaze at a thatched house.

Firefighters battled for hours against strong flames at a two-floor home in Mill Road, All Saints South Elmham, near Halesworth, on Friday night.

On Saturday morning two of three residents from the house returned to look around the fire-damaged property.

The majority of the thatch from the roof was gone, with a pile at the front of the house and a burnt wooden frame around the chimney.

All three who lived there are currently staying with friends and said they were “fine”.

A spokesman for Suffolk Fire and Rescue said seven crews were initially sent to tackle the fire at around 10pm, with the entire roof caught in the fire.

Shortly after 11pm a further three crews were sent, with engineers from UK Power Network arriving to isolate power to the house.

By 1.30am half of the thatch had been removed from the premises, and at 2am four relief crews were sent.

The fire was extinguished shortly afterwards, and by 3am the thatch from the front of the house had been removed.