An allotment owner has been left devastated after a fire broke out in County Durham destroying an aviary and killing several birds.
Thomas Noble, 77, has owned the allotment on George Avenue, Easington Colliery for 46 years but was heartbroken when he discovered on Monday morning that the allotment was ablaze.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene at 12.54pm and sent several fire engines.
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The fire was eventually extinguished but Thomas' allotment was left in ruins and equipment worth more than £1,000 was destroyed.
Thomas said the blaze also ripped through a recently built aviary, killing several birds.
He said: "I've had these gardens 46 years. We don't know what happened, it just took fire.
"Me and my son-in-law haven't been home half an hour and we were told there was a fire and that's as much as we know.
"We've lost three generators, strimmers, a big saw bench, big electric generator, and American one we just paid more than £1,000 for. It's gone.
"We've had a lot of birds, lovely birds all got nests and young ones, gone. We've just finished building this big aviary. We've spent all winter building it, it's cost us thousands of pounds, gone."
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are in attendance at an allotment fire in Easington Colliery.
"We got called at 12.54 and there is currently three pumps in attendance, two from Peterlee and one from Spennymoor."
