Fire Destroys Donkey Stable

A donkey stable in Great Glen has been destroyed by fire.

Luckily the three donkeys kept at the site were not in the building when the blaze broke out just after 10am yesterday.

Video: Reach

Three fire crews were called to the scene behind the Italian Greyhound pub on London Road to tackle the flames.

The blaze, caused by heat radiating from a nearby tractor, has left the stable completely destroyed, along with saddles and other tack and also spread to around 30 metres of fencing.

Firefighters tackling the blaze Pic: Reach

The stable has been popular with villagers since former pub landlord Peter Hockenhull set it up when he owned the then Pug and Greyhound and kept it going after he sold the pub.

He has described the fire as ‘an extremely sad day’ but has pledged to re-build the stable.

The fire completely destroyed the stable  Pic: Reach

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has used the incident to urge people to be on the look-out for fires in the open.

A spokesperson said: “With the weather set to get warmer this week, the public are encouraged to be on the look-out for fires in the open, and to reduce the risk of wildfires, which can spread very quickly in warm, dry conditions.

“Be careful if smoking cigarettes, and also take care if using barbecues, bonfires or other sources of ignition, and have a bucket of water or a hosepipe nearby in case things get out of control.

“If you see a fire in the open, call 999, and please consider downloading the What3Words app, which will help emergency services locate your exact location if you are out and about in rural areas with no clear landmarks.”