A WINCHESTER home was badly damaged in a fire last night.

The blaze started in the terraced house in Tower Street at around 8.30pm. It appears the fire started on the first floor but spread to the rest of the building, severely damaging the roof.

Five Hampshire Fire & Rescue appliances attended with around 45 firefighters on site for two-and-a-half hours.

Crew manager Phil Foxton, of Winchester Fire Station, said the home was being renovated and the residents had not been at home.

He said: “We arrived to find a fire in a terraced site of three properties, with the fire in the central house. It possibly started on the first floor but then spread.

“We don’t know how it started yet; it is being investigated but it doesn’t look like anything suspicious. Nobody was hurt and the occupiers didn’t turn up until later.”

The basement and ground floor were also partly damaged by fire while the houses either side suffered some smoke damage to their lofts.

Ten breathing apparatus were used along with three jets and two hoses.