Fire crews were called out to an overnight fire at a laundrette in Exmouth.

Crews were called at 11.23pm on Thursday, May 18, after staff at a nearby restaurant saw smoke coming from the premises, in High Street.

On arrival, firefighters saw that a tumble dryer was well alight inside the laundrette.

Initially crews were unable to enter the premises and were preparing to force their way in when a keyholder arrived at the scene.

This allowed firefighters to quickly deal with the incident, and they confirmed the fire was out at 11:51pm.

The tumble dryer was completely destroyed by the fire, which also resulted in 50 per cent damage by smoke to the launderette and slight smoke logging to some adjacent properties.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said the fire started accidentally, and no persons were involved or injured.

Owner Jef Pirie said that the laundrette was expected to reopen by around 1pm on Friday.

He added: “If customers looked at the signs and safety tips then things like this would not happen.”