MORE than 50 firefighters were battling a blaze at a thatched cottage next to the A420 in Besselsleigh as the Oxford Mail went to press last night.

Fire crews were sent to the cottage on the A420 at the entrance to the village at 5pm.

Police then closed the road at about 5.45pm, between Cumnor and the A338 junction near Appleton.

An Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesman said: “We have sent so many firefighters because it’s a thatched roof and so many members of the public called it in.”

A neighbour, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “The owners of the cottage are all safe – they’re all out of the house. It was a log burner which caused the fire. The road is closed both ways at the moment.”

Fire service group manager Jason Crapper said: “We were called at 5pm. The fire involves the entire thatched roof, front to back.

“Everyone is safe. All the personal possessions have been moved out of the ground floor. At the moment we have about 50 firefighters in attendance and I’m just about to increase that to 70.”

He added that he expected firefighters would be on the scene well into the evening.