Neatishead blaze destroys mini-cruiser and boat shed

An out-of-control bonfire on the Broads this afternoon has completely destroyed a mini-cruiser and the boat shed in which it was stored.

Firefighters from Stalham and Wroxham were called to Hall Lane, Neatishead, at 12.40pm after a bonfire spread to a nearby boat shed, believed to be privately owned.

Brett Hopcroft, operations support officer with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said the incident was a 'cautionary tale' and an example of one of the key messages which the fire service was putting out in the current dry conditions.

'If you must have a bonfire, be very, very careful about where it is sited,' he said.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control fairly quickly but were still on the scene damping down at 3.30pm. The site, with a Broad on one side, made access more difficult, according to a fire service spokesman.