A HUGE blaze has gutted a thatched family home in Langrish which a retired couple had spent many years lovingly restoring.

Forty fire-fighters were called in to tackle the fire which saw 20 foot flames ripping through the detached Home Farm cottage in East Meon Road on Sunday night.

Embers from the chimney are believed to be the cause.

Owners David and Cheryl Walder, who were checked over by the ambulance service at the scene, were being comforted by friends in the village.

They had just sat down for dinner at around 8pm when a neighbour banged on the door and told them their thatch roof was on fire.

“They are very, very shaken,” said their nephew Ruben Forrester of Petersfield. “They have spent an awful lot of time restoring the place and it was like a show home. It’s really gutting.”

His father Graham Forrester, Cheryl’s brother, had driven from Land’s End in Cornwall in the early hours of Monday to help with the clear-up operation.

“It’s heart-wrenching,” he said. “They are lovely people.” The Walder’s son-in-law who was helping out too said his wife had grown up in the house.

Nine appliances from Petersfield, Horndean, Bordon, Liphook, Havant, Waterlooville and Alresford, arrived on the scene at 8.20pm.

They used a mixture of foam and water to quell the flames. Waters carriers had to be brought in too as there was a water pressure problem with the rural localtion, according to Hampshire Fire and Rescue watch manager Paul Rance.

“This was a very, very severe fire. The nature of thatch is that it’s very flammable and when you have a fire in the roof they are very difficult to put out,” he added.

He urged anyone with an open fire or woodburning stove to get their chimney swept regularly and have at least one fire alarm fitted for each floor.

Fire officers worked hard to salvage a large amount of personal belongings and furniture from the house.

“There was a lot of their stuff out on the lawn,” said neighbour?Ian Wesley, of The Close, opposite.

Officers were still damping down and making safe the building until Monday.

A fire officer was treated for debris in the eye.