Eight fire crews spent hours overnight battling a fire which broke out in a livery yard.

The blaze occurred in a building used to keep wooden boats at a livery yard on Ferry Road, Woodbastwick.

Four horses were evacuated from nearby stables to a paddock by local residents.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service were called at around 10.20pm and contained the fire in the building – to stop it spreading to residential cottages close by.

No one was injured in the incident.

The fire was on the ground floor and crews protected the nearby thatched properties from the fire using main and hose reel jets.

The fire service sent six crews, from Wroxham, Sprowston, Carrow, Acle, Earlham, and Great Yarmouth, a water carrier from Hethersett, and a control unit from Wymondham.

Simon Mason, station manager at Easton Fire Station, said: 'Our main concern was the stable blocks and thatched premises that were in the area. We made sure the horses are safe and that the fire was stopped from spreading to the thatched area.

'The fire was in a large barn used for the construction of wooden boats.

'The local residents did well in response to the fire by moving the horses.'

He said crews were likely to stay on the scene throughout most of the night.

The fire caused the structure to become unsafe and the fire service requested a building control officer.

Officers from UK Power Networks were also on the scene.