Porlock Weir fire: Latest as fire crews tackling thatched cottage blaze for 15 hours

Firefighters have been working through the night to tackle a blaze at two thatched cottages in Somerset.

Crews from 20 stations were dispatched to the fire in Porlock Wier, Somerset, at around 7pm on Monday 2 May. They remain at the properties this morning.

People living in the Porlock area are being urged to keep their doors and windows closed due to high levels of smoke.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says firefighters have been stripping thatch from the houses to try to contain the blaze.

The service says it has made steady progress overnight using two hose reel jets, one main jet and a street hydrant. But in an update at 9.40am on Tuesday 2 May they said the fire is ongoing.

Fire engines were sent to the scene from Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Appledore, Combe Martin, Lynton, Woolacombe, Street and Burnham-on-Sea, among others.