FAMILIES made homeless after a fierce blaze engulfed a row of historic cottages in Stanford in the Vale are now settling back in to a normal life.

Sixteen months after flames ripped through the five terraced houses in Church Green, engulfing the thatched roofs, a dozen residents have started to move back in to the row which overlooks the picturesque village green.

Parish chairman Gerry McMorrow welcomed the end of the work, saying: "It's affected us a lot.

"The roads have been closed, and the cottages are only now habitable.

"I am delighted that the residents are coming back. I think we have been as helpful as we possibly can be.

"We now have a village green which needs to be reinstated, but all the villagers are back safe and sound."

A dozen residents have now moved back. One of those made homeless by the blaze, Maud Fife, died last summer aged 94.

She was rescued by then 35-year-old Army sergeant Eddie Young, of Dalton Barracks, Abingdon. He was helped by neighbour Tina Parker, whose home overlooks the village green.

Two occupants of one of the cottages, George and Martha Belcher, both in their mid-90s, were able to move back into their home within a few months.

Local resident Nick Sennewald, 53, who lives at Hunters Field, said: "It was chaos, but the community spirit in the village was great. Everyone knew someone in the houses."

Pat Boodle, 58, who runs The Anchor pub in the village, said he had lost thousands of pounds in revenue because of traffic diversions which had been in place since the fire.