Almost 50 firefighters tackled a thatched cottage which caught alight last night (Monday).

Crews were called to Finchingfield Road, Great Sampford, at 7.30pm and arrived to find 10 per cent of the thatched roof of the cottage was on fire.

By 8.15pm, the flames had spread and about a third of the roof was on fire.

Firefighters started to strip away the roof as well as recover belongings and furniture from the house before they got damaged.

The electricity supply to the street was cut off due to safety concerns.

By 11.18pm, the fire was extinguished.

The crews, from Thaxted, Wethersfield, Saffron Walden, Halsted, Great Dunmow, Leaden Roding and Harlow, remained at the scene for more time, cutting away at the thatch and dampening down the roof to cool down hot-spots.

Firefighters revisited at 7am this morning (Tuesday) and to ensure the roof was cool.