Hertfordshire dairy fire: Blaze ravages listed, derelict buildings in Codicote again

Image source, Sean Comerford

Image caption, The listed building was constructed as a model farm in the 1920s

A blaze has ravaged a thatched Grade II listed property - for the second time in four years.

More than 50 firefighters were sent to Node Court in Codicote, Hertfordshire after an alert at about 00:15 BST.

The building has been derelict since a fire several years ago.

The 1928 detached property was partially gutted by arson in 2015 which caused 拢3.5m of damage and was described at the time as "the largest [fire] of its kind in the UK".

In 2017, a 24-year-old man was jailed for more than three years after admitting setting it on fire.

Crews remain in the scene damping down on Friday and an investigation into the cause will begin shortly.

According to Historic England, the building was constructed in 1928 for an American businessman as a model dairy, which at the time "set standards for hygiene and efficient dairy farming in England".

Image source, Herts Police

Image caption, Much of the detached listed building was gutted by a blaze in July 2015