A huge fire ripped through a country club near Crawley last night.

Ten fire engines and dozens of firefighters battled the blaze at Cottesmore Golf and Country Club in Pease Pottage, which broke out at around 5pm.

Firefighters are now investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire service received a call about the incident in Buchan Hill came in at 5.03pm yesterday afternoon.

Two fire engines from Crawley Fire Station went to the scene.

On arrival, crews found the building well alight and requested further assistance.

Ten fire engines in total were in attendance along with several specialist vehicles, including the ariel ladder platform, and specialist officers.

Group commander Richard Davy, running the operation, said: “Our officers are remaining at the scene today damping down, while an investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.

“I would like to thank our dedicated firefighters and teams who swiftly acted following the initial call about this incident, and have worked through the night to keep the fire contained.

“I would also like to thank the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), and the management of the hotel for their full co-operation.”

It is estimated that 50 per cent of the building was damaged by the fire.

Everyone who had been in the building was accounted for and there were no reported injuries.