Nearly 60 firefighters spent eight hours battling a blazing barn on farmland beside Osterley Park and House overnight on Friday (September 5).

Flames and thick plumes of smoke from the barn in Osterley Lane, which contained hay, straw and three tractors, could be seen for a considerable distance. One person living nearby said the smoke was so thick it sparked a coughing fit.

London Fire Brigade was called shortly after 10pm on Friday and sent eight engines and 58 firefighters, who finally managed to get the blaze under control just after 6am on Saturday.

A spokesman for the brigade said no one was injured but the barn was badly damaged. He added that the cause remains under investigation this morning.

Jasveer Singh Gill, who was at the scene of the fire, has described in a piece for getwestlondon how clouds of smoke covered the surrounding area           

Neil Cole, National Trust general manager for Osterley Park, said the fire on its tenant farmer's property had destroyed the barn and its contents. But he added that the park's house, garden, shop and cafe had remained open as normal.