YEOVIL has awoken to find that one of its most well-known and long-established pubs has been gutted by fire overnight.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service started receiving numerous calls just after 4am to reports of a fire at the Hungry Horse, better known as the Bel Inn, in Preston Road being ablaze.

Initially, two fire appliances from Yeovil were mobilised.  On arrival the crews found the premises to be well alight and quickly requested the attendance of a further six fire appliances.

Firefighters from Yeovil, Martock, Somerton and Sherborne attended, while an aerial ladder platform from Taunton, a command unit and support group from Street and water carrier from Bridgwater were also mobilised.

The two-storey building was gutted by the fire with flames shooting from the roof in its early stages.

More firefighters attended from Chard, Crewkerne, Castle Cary and Ilminster as the number of fire engines at the scene increased to 12.

This has now been increased to a make pumps 12.  Further appliances are currently en route from Chard, Crewkerne, Castle Cary and Ilminster, while extra support came from Taunton and Burnham-on-Sea.

It was just after 5am that the Fire Service announced that all people - who could have been in the building - had been accounted for.

A Fire Service spokesman said: ''The pub has been severely damaged by fire. The cause of the fire will be under investigation.''

The incident started to be scaled down by daybreak and at 10am two aerial ladder platforms were still at the scene along with other firefighters.