A FIRE engulfed The Bourne Mill antique centre in Farnham this afternoon, causing catastrophic damage to the centuries-old landmark.

The blaze took hold of the upper storeys of the building at around noon, destroying much of its 300-year-old roof and equally historic contents.

Up to nine fire engines tackled the fire at its height, and although it was quickly brought under control, firefighters warned there will likely be extensive smoke and water damage throughout the building.

As of around 3.30pm on Tuesday, firefighters could still be seen dousing the embers of the fire and making the scene safe.

Bourne Mill leaseholder David Myers said he feared the fire had caused around £2m of damage but promised the antiques centre will “bounce back” from the blaze.

He also expressed relief that nobody was hurt in the blaze and thanked staff for quickly evacuating the building which was open to the public at the time.

Road closures were put in place because of the fire. The A325 Guildford Road was closed in both directions, and due to the impact on the A31 Shepherd and Flock roundabout, there is congestion on the A31 in both directions.

For full story, see this week's Farnham Herald.