Old guns removed after fire

OLD firearms and ammunition were removed from a house in Sonning Common by police following a fire.

A man was taken to hospital after escaping the blaze at the two-storey terraced house in Park Lane, which is thought to have started by a spark from an open fire in the lounge.

The flames spread and the house was soon filled with thick black smoke. The man was treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.

Three fire crews from Henley, Caversham and Didcot and an ambulance were called to the scene just before 4pm on Thursday, January, 11.

Firefighters initially entered the house through the back door but were forced to break the large front window of the lounge due to dense smoke hindering their visibility.

They then removed items of furniture through the window space in order to tackle the blaze. The operation took more than an hour.

An eyewitness said: “People had come out of their houses and were crowding the road to see what was happening.

“There were multiple firefighters going in and out of the house through the front window, which was smashed. Loads of stuff was thrown out and dumped on the front lawn, including a sofa. The front room was blackened.”

The fire service called police once the fire was out.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “A number of decommissioned and non-viable firearms and ammunition were located and removed. No arrests were made and there was no risk to the community.”

Firefighters returned to the house later that evening to check for any hot spots which could reignite.