The peace and tranquillity of our neighbourhood was shattered in the early hours of this morning when a huge fire gutted an unoccupied house almost directly across the road from where I live. I was awakened around 6.30am by loud banging noises coming from the area close by my house and, eventually, having gone to investigate, I saw the house, which was currently under repair, consumed by flames. By this time other neighbours were on the scene and I was told the fire brigade was on its way. Three units were soon on the scene and they quickly brought the fire under control. The house, which was completely gutted by the flames, is joined on one side by a pub and restaurant and on the other side by a private house. Luckily, neither of those showed any outward damage but I’m sure they will have to be inspected at a later stage to see if the heat from such an inferno affected them in any way. Luckier still, there was no loss of life and that is the principal thing.