FIREFIGHTERS have battled a fire at a thatched cottage overnight in All Saints South Elmham, near Halesworth.

The cottage, in Mill Road, was well alight at 10pm, with seven crews sent to tackle the blaze.

A spokesman for Suffolk Fire and Rescue said that by 10.30pm the roof was entirely caught up in the fire as crews worked to try to remove the thatch.

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.