Fire officers are investigating the cause of a blaze in the bedroom of a house where three one-week-old kittens died.

The occupants had gone out shortly before neighbours spotted smoke and flames billowing from the first-floor open windows of the semi-detached house in Freeman Road, Didcot.

The family cat, Sandy, was outside when the fire happened, although three of her kittens, which were kept in a cupboard, died in the toxic smoke fumes despite attempts of firefighters to resuscitate the animals. Four crews, from Didcot, Wallingford and Abingdon, tackled the fire on Tuesday. They also forced their way into the next-door house in case the fire spread, but it was not damaged.

Patrick McNamara, who lives in the damaged property with his sister, Rose Timmins, and her two children, Christopher, 27, and Paul, 24, said one of the sons had gone to the nearby Loyd Recreation Ground with two young relatives. "They saw the smoke from the park and when they got back to the house, firemen had got the fire under control," said Mr McNamara who was visiting the bank in the town centre at the time.

"It would be conjecture at this stage to say what started the fire."

The fire caused severe damage to the bedroom where belongings, bedding and furniture were destroyed and there was extensive smoke damage to the rest of the property, running into thousands of pounds.

The family have moved out of the house until repairs have been carried out.