ALTON firefighters were called to tackle a barn blaze in Ropley.

The fire broke out at the barn on Bighton Road in the village around 4pm on Thursday.

Located close to several domestic properties, the barn, which burned throughout the night, contained a forklift vehicle and 1,500 bales of hay.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service worked with the electricity company to isolate the power through nearby cables, Southern Water and the Environment Agency as firefighters fought to get the blaze under control and contain the damage.

They used mains jets and ground monitors to stop the fire spreading to tinder dry nearby fields and hedgerows.

Relief crews from Droxford, Alresford, Basingstoke, St Mary’s and Cosham took over from their colleagues from Alton, Bordon, Liphook, Winchester and Petersfield.