A quick-thinking postman saved a 150-year-old vicarage from being destroyed after he spotted that it was on fire.

Andrew Fairhurst, from Wheatley, was on his rounds in Holton, near Oxford, when he heard the smoke alarm going off inside the 19th-century house.

Although he didn't think much of it, he thought it best to check and went round to the back of the house.

The 41-year-old father-of-two yesterday said: "I looked through the window and in the kitchen there were all these flames gushing out of what looked like the washing machine.

"It was pretty frightening seeing it.

"The flames were really licking up the walls."

Mr Fairhurst, who called 999 to alert firefighters, added: "The fire guys were really good.

"They were there in about 10 minutes and got it under control before it could get any worse.

"If I hadn't had any mail for them, I wouldn't have gone up the drive, so God knows who would have seen it."

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has told the Vicar of Holton, the Rev Caroline King, that the fire probably broke out in the tumble dryer, before spreading to the washing machine and the rest of the kitchen.

Her husband, David Harris, said: "We're very grateful to Andrew and we're also very thankful that there was nobody in the house at the time and that everybody was alright.

"If nobody had raised the alarm, the house could have been completely ruined."

Mr Harris had been at work when the fire started at around 8.30am, and his wife was taking their two young children to school. The only occupant still inside the house was the family's pet hamster Lucy, who survived.

Due to the damage in the kitchen the family have had to move out of the house and into a hotel.

Mr Harris believes the cost of repairs will run into tens of thousands of pounds.

The 39-year-old civil servant said the family did not yet know if they would be back home in time for Christmas.

Mr Harris said: "It's a real mess. There was a lot of smoke damage and kitchen and utility room are really gutted.

"I think it must have been very hot - the clock melted on the wall. It's all a complete write-off. The windows are cracked, everything is going to have to be thrown out.

"It's going to take us months to fix it."