THE owner of a 400-year-old Worcestershire cottage which was burnt to a shell has told of his anguish at learning that many of his late father's possessions had been lost in the blaze.

Reg Wood fought back tears as he revealed that the cottage, which had belonged to his late father, was almost totally destroyed.

More than 40 firefighters from across Worcestershire and Warwickshire were called to the fire at Poplar Tree Cottage, on the B4090 at Bradley Green, near Droitwich.

The blaze, in the early hours of Sunday, took four-and-a-half-hours to put out.

"The family were intending to put the cottage on the market in the next six months or so," said Mr Wood who lives in Huddersfield and is the executor of his father's will.

"But it looks like it will be a bit longer than that.

"It's fortunate that the tenant was downstairs and had fallen asleep in an armchair.

"Luckily he woke up and was able to get out."

Mr Wood said the tenant was currently staying with friends.

All that is left of the cottage is its walls.

Mr Wood said that the family had yet to find out how much of the property was lost forever.

"There were a lot of my father's belongings in the cottage - things we'll not be able to replace," he added.

"The firefighters tried to save some things but there was a lot of water damage."

He said he hoped English Heritage would help restore the cottage.

"The real damage is to the roof and part of the first floor, but it's going to take time to get it back to how it was," said Mr Wood.

Fire investigators believe that the blaze started in the cottage's central heating and said that most of the damage was above the boiler.