A FIRE broke out at The Old Well garden centre in the early hours of this morning, destroying much of the family-owned property. 

Emergency services received a call at 1.27 am due to reports of smoke and flames at the garden centre off the A38 near Uffculme.

Due to smoke, residents in the local area were advised to keep their windows and doors closed.

Three fire crews and an aerial platform were initially dispatched from Cullompton, Tiverton and Taunton fire stations.

Due to the scale of the fire in a large warehouse an extra five fire appliances were dispatched to assist from local stations including Wellington. 

A statement released by the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews have made steady progress through the night using hose reel jets, safety jets and an aerial ladder to control the fire and the incident is beginning to be scaled down as crews locate and dampen down hotspots”

The A38 that runs alongside the garden centre remains open in both directions . However, motorists have been advised to "approach with care."

The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have been contacted for further information.

This is a developing story - check for updates