A discarded cigarette set the bin store of a thatched pub alight in Leicestershire.

A fire broke out at The Blue Bell in Hoby as the pub was calling last orders on Saturday, setting a bin store and fencing in the beer garden alight.

Mason Platts from the Everards pub said between the actions of the staff and the fire service, a "disastrous" outcome was narrowly avoided with the thatch and the gas canisters in the nearby cellar both kept from igniting.

"We were getting ready to close up for the night when we started smelling a bit of smoke," he said.

"We looked over and saw sparks and then it all just went 'poof'.

"We got a lot of it down with our hose by the time the fire brigade got there, and they quickly made sure everything was out and damp.

"We're lucky that it didn't spread to the building because it's thatched roof - and also the other side of the brick wall where the fire was is our cellar where we've got gas canisters, all our kegs and stuff.

"If it went into there, it would have been quite catastrophic."

Platts thanked neighbours for their offers of support, and asked customers to be more thoughtful when disposing of their ciagrettes.

He said: "It's quite disheartening. We've all had that government alert yesterday where it was like no barbecues because of the amount of wildfires that were happening nationally. And then for that to happen on our own territory was a scary moment for us."

The fire service added no injuries were reported in the incident.

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