A SHED has been completely destroyed after a fire broke out and threatened to damage neighbouring homes.

Firefighters rushed to the scene to douse the smouldering remains of the structure while a second crew ensured an adjacent house was not engulfed in the flames.

The cause of the fire is thought to be accidental and to have been started by a cigarette which had not been properly put out.

The homeowners in Beech Road, Whitley, raised the alarm after spotting the blaze at around 11.30pm last night.

By the time the first fire crew arrived on scene the shed had "completely burned down".

Fencing and bushes nearby were charred but no other properties were affected.

Crew manager Reg Larkins of Wokingham Road fire station, said: "It was really going when we got there and had pretty much burned to the ground.

"The guys from Whitley Wood station protected the adjacent property to make sure the fire did not spread.

"It was at the back of one house's garden but was quite close to another."