A group of adults with learning difficulties have lost their home and possessions after fire ripped through a residential care property this morning.

The emergency services were alerted to the blaze at Bridge House in Green Hill, Barham, after smoke was seen pouring from the roof of the property.

Fortunately all eight residents had gone out for the day to schools or day centres when the fire started.

But they will not be able to return for many months and the cost of rebuilding the charred property could cost hundrds of thousands of pounds.

Six fire crews were called to the scene at around 11.30am after staff at the neighbouring primary school raised the alarm.

With all the residents and duty manager accounted for, the firefighters concentrated on tackling the blaze which had spread throughout the upper floors of the eight bed property.

General Manager for Family Investments Four which runs the home, Nikki Marley could only watch as firemen put out the smouldering roof timbers.

She said: "It's a very sad sight because it was a lovely building and some of our residents had been there for 16 years when we first took it over.

"We are going to sit down and talk it through with them because they have lost all their possessions and will be very upset.

"The only saving grace is that none of them were in the building and nobody was hurt."

She added: "We will have to make alternative arrangements for their accommodation, because it will take a long time to rebuild the house."

Mrs Marley said there had been a problem with the power supply tripping out, for which they had called out an electrician. She said an electrical fault would be one of the possible causes being investigated.