Firefighters tackle house blaze at Shootash near Romsey

Police say they have launched an investation into the blaze early this morning.

It is not thought that there was anyone in the home at the time of the fire.

More than 25 firefighters battled the flames at the property near Romsey in the early hours of this morning.

It happened at Danes Road, Shootash, after the alarm was raised at 5.25am.

The building was completely wrecked and was cordoned off with blue and white police tape across the front gate this morning.

Crews attended from Romsey, Totton, Redbridge and Winchester and the flames were doused by 7.20am, said a fire service spokesman.

Six firefighters had to wear breathing apparatus and used three jets and two high-pressure hoses to beat the fire.

The house is called 'The Copse' was a large bungalow  - but is s now a charred ruin.

The blaze destroyed not just the roof, but stripped all the internal fittings and wall coverings to reveal the grey breeze blocks beneath.

A few charred timbers lay scattered on the green lawn in front of the building.

This morning a fire investigator and police scenes of crime officers were  starting the task of establishing the cause of the fire.

They were waiting for the gutted building to be made safe with officials from Southern Electric and Southern Water expected to switch off supplies to enable the investigators to go inside.

One scenes of crime officer was dusting vehicles parked outside the building, including a white DAF van.

A police community support officer stood guard at the wooden gates at the entrance to the property as a blue and white 'police line do not cross' tape fluttered gently in the breeze.

The bungalow stands amid dense woodland about half a mile north of Shootash on the edge of Awbridge and next to the McNamara Contractors civil engineers yard.

Hampshire Police said they were called at 6am to the fire, the cause of which at this stage was being treated as suspicious.

A spokeswoman said the fire was out and they were conducting investigations at the scene.

She said no-one was rescued or injured and as far as she was aware there was no-one in the building at the time of the fire and no-one had been found inside the building.

South Central Ambulance Service said they had been called to the scene, at Danes Road, Shootash, at 6am to a fire with no persons reported inside.

It sent a hazardous area response team, which was on standby at the scene, but nobody was treated in relation to the fire.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said they had been called to a derelict building, in Danes Road, Shootash, which as a result was completely destroyed by fire - the roof had collapsed and come in.

Two engines came from Romsey, another from Redbridge and another from Totton, as well as an special equipment unit with crew from Redbridge.