Fire rips through Heathcoat Cricket's clubhouse - burning it to the ground

A large fire has ripped through a community cricket club in Devon, destroying its clubhouse.

Firefighters were called to Heathcoat Cricket Club in Tiverton at around 5.20am on Friday 16 August by someone from a nearby property who saw smoke and flames.

When firefighters arrived, they found the wooden cricket pavilion fully engulfed in flames.

The fire has now been put out, but teams remain at the scene to dampen down any hotspots.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, but owners of the club have said they're "deeply shocked and saddened" by the destruction.

In a statement, they said: "Many of you will have already heard the devastating news that the club house at Heathcoat Cricket Club at Knightshayes has been destroyed by fire."

They thanked firefighters for their work.

"At this stage it is too early to define the cause," they added.

"Everyone connected to the club and in the cricketing community are deeply shocked and saddened by these events.

"We were incredibly proud of our remarkable clubhouse, however a club is more than just a building.

'It'll be here for a few hundred years' - Watch ITV West Country's coverage of the Clubhouse being built in Februrary 2013

"A club is defined by its community and rest assured we will rebuild the Clubhouse.We will keep everyone updated as and when we have any information and plans surrounding matches and bookings."

The club has set up a GoFundMe page to help with the cost of the rebuild.