A combination of fire precautions and swift action by Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service saved the Red Lion pub at Avebury from serious damage.

The emergency services were alerted shortly before 11am on Saturday to a fire in the thatched roof of the celebrated pub in the ancient stone circle.

Six fire tenders with support vehicles and the aerial appliance from Swindon attended and firefighters used their recently acquired training in tackling thatch fires to good effect.

Station officer Gareth Edwards from Swindon said: "We got it early and nipped it in the bud. Without this early action we could have been here all day.

"The information we got from the thatcher who has been given us seminars on the subject is being used today."

Fire fighters removed thatch from around the chimney of the pub but it is thought that the fire had been extinguished.

Traffic is moving through the village, but motorists are advised to take extreme care.