A Banbury restaurant has been severely damaged by fire.

Twelve firefighters were called to the Thai Orchid Restaurant in Parsons Street at 4.20pm on Sunday.

They discovered a severe fire in the kitchen area. Six firefighters used breathing apparatus to tackle the blaze.

Incident commander Nigel Wilson said the fire could have been far more serious had it not been for the swift actions of the fire service.

Restaurant staff had been alerted by a fire alarm. Staff and people living above the restaurant had been able to escape.

One man had tried putting out the flames with an extinguisher but was driven back, and alerted the emergency services.

After bringing the flames under control, firefighters used a new ventilation system to clear the building of smoke.

Mr Wilson said: "When we arrived the kitchen was well alight. It was too fierce for the member of staff to tackle with an extinguisher.

"It was a dangerous situation for our crew, but they got it under control."

The fire was contained in the kitchen but other parts of the building including the dining area and upstairs flats were smoke damaged.

Investigations into how the fire started were due to continue today (December 30).