A HATHERLEIGH hotel, undergoing reconstruction after it was destroyed by fire two and a half years ago, suffered another fire this week.

A fire broke out in the new thatch of the George Hotel just before noon on Tuesday but fortunately not much of the new roof had been completed and the blaze was contained to a small area.

Hatherleigh Fire Station commander Kevin Drew said:

'There was only about five square metres of thatch on the roof and luckily not much damage was done,' he said.

It is believed the fire was started accidentally.