EASEBOURNE'S best-known villagers had a bad start to their Christmas when they had to call in firefighters in the early hours of December 23.

Actor Laurence Fox and his actress wife Billie Piper lit the open fire at their home in Easebourne Street, but it started a blaze in the chimney.

Midhurst station manager Nigel Gamblen said: "They had heard the roaring in the chimney and saw the sparks and so they called us out which was absolutely the right thing to do. The children were asleep upstairs and we dealt with it all very quickly."

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.