JUST three years after the community rallied to save their local pub it has been destroyed after fire ripped through it.

Customers had to be evacuated after a passer-by noticed flames at the historic John O'Gaunt Inn in Horsebridge, near King's Somborne.

It was 75 per cent destroyed by the blaze on Thursday night at around 9.30pm.

Around 20 firefighters spent four hours battling the flames which spread to the roof. They were called back at around 4am on Friday morning after the roof reignited, according to a police officer at the scene.

Richard George, who was in the pub at the time, said: "A stranger put his head round the door and said 'do you know there's a fire upstairs in one of the rooms?'.

"My wife and another person went outside whilst the landlady rushed upstairs, eventually with a fire extinguisher, to do what she could. My wife returned and said 'everybody out, we are on fire'."

"It went from nothing to quite a blaze in a matter of probably 10 minutes."

Beneath the blackened and smashed windows a pile of rubble could be seen, which included water bottles and broken glass. The gutter had melted on one side.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said the building is 100 per cent smoke damaged.

She said: "The fire spread to the roof as well and we used two high-pressure hose reels, two jets, and 18 sets of breathing apparatus to put it out."

On Friday morning a visibly upset Laura Davis, the landlady, ventured inside with several others to check the damage. She did not want to comment.

An investigation has now been launched to pinpoint how it started.

Peter Storey, parish clerk for the Sombornes, said: "The parish council was shocked to learn of the disastrous fire at the John O'Gaunt pub and has every sympathy with the landlady and hopes that the pub will be able to reopen in the not too distant future."

In 2012 the pub was saved by local residents who campaigned against a planning application to turn it into flats.

Alongside then-landlady Toni Simmonds, they furiously volunteered with painting, gardening and various refurbishments to see it relaunched after a four month closure.

The lease was then bought by Tracey Haines and her partner Steve Kemp in January 2013 after their friend Ms Simmonds was forced to quit due to ill-health.

In October 2013 they threw a two-day beer festival to celebrate 150 years since the pub opened.

It was originally named The Railway Inn but later changed to reflect the local history which is tied up with the famous Duke of Lancaster, whose descendants formed the Royal houses of Lancaster, Plantagenet and Tudor.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said there is no police investigation into the incident.

A South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We were alerted to it at 10.03pm but not required."

A music event was planned at the pub for next Sunday, May 31.