A town has rallied round a family of eight who have lost everything in a house fire.

Flames tore through the house where Andrew Fordham, Joanna Blake and their six children aged from one to 15 live in Thetford on Sunday afternoon.

Fire crews from East Harling, Thetford and Bury St Edmunds were called out to the blaze, which began in the kitchen of the property on Ulfkell Road.

On a GoFundMe page set up after the incident, Mr Fordham said: "Our lives were turned upside down, devastated by our family home we have lost everything, with nothing being salvageable.

"Me, my partner and our six children ages from 15 down to one have lost absolutely everything that me and my partner have worked so hard for, worked hard to make our house a home for it to be ripped away from us.

"Any donations are appreciated, I cannot thank members of Thetford community for all the help and support you have given me and my family."

So far, the page has raised £145 towards its £1,000 target. But offers of furniture, children's clothes and baby goods have been flooding in on a community page on Facebook which has had more than 200 comments, mostly offering items to help the family.

The family were not at home when the fire broke out. Personal assistant Paul Smith, 53, was visiting a friend who lived near the property when he smelled smoke on Sunday.

"We were outside having a chat and I said: 'I can smell plastic burning - they shouldn't be burning plastic.

"We saw some smoke coming out of the garden like they were having a fire, we went round the front, there was a puff of black smoke and within a minute it had gone right through the house."

Mr Smith's friend Peter Smith raised the alarm. Firefighters were on the scene within minutes.

Eastern Daily Press: Fire crews outside the house which was devastated by fire in ThetfordFire crews outside the house which was devastated by fire in Thetford (Image: Paul Smith)

Ellie MacDonald, a friend of the couple, said they were struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

"They're just trying to stay strong for the kids at the moment," she said.

No-one was injured in the fire. The cause remains unknown.