Forty firefighters tackled a blaze at an Oxfordshire village hall last night as fire broke out before the performance of a play.

The alarm was raised just before 8pm at Nuneham Courtenay Village Hall as the Baldon Players were due to walk on stage.

The steel-framed venue, which has wooden cladding, was evacuated as the fire spread into the roof above the stage.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “People using the hall discovered a fire in the electric boards which quickly spread into the roof of the building.

“They evacuated quickly, called the fire and rescue service and then helped direct the first fire engines to the best access for the fire.

“The first firefighters who arrived were able to control the fire and its spread and they used ventilation fans to clear the smoke from the hall so firefighters in breathing apparatus could control the fire in the roof.

“Fire damage was limited to the room containing the electricity boards and a portion of the roof above the stage area.”