FIREFIGHTERS battled for more than an hour to put out a blaze at a country mansion - as its owners tried desperately to save personal possessions.

The flames billowed out of a first-floor bedroom at Cliffe Hall, near Piercebridge, North Yorkshire, last night, and eventually gutted the room, with the remainder of the floor being damaged by smoke.

Two fire engines from Darlington station were first on the scene, at about 5.10pm, closely followed by two crews from North Yorkshire.

Darlington watch manager Kevin Thompson said the hall's owners were helped by firefighters and neighbours as they tried to retrieve belongings, including furniture, pictures, books and documents.

"As we were fighting the fire, they were trying to salvage what they could without putting themselves in danger," he told The Northern Echo.

"We actually helped them to try to recover some possessions."

He said firefighters wearing breathing masks tackled the blaze from inside, while other crew members tried to extinguish it from outside.

"It certainly was a big fire and it could have developed," he said.

"On arrival, one of the bedrooms in the hall was well alight, and flames were coming out of the window.

"The first-floor was heavily smoke-logged, but we were able to contain the fire to that bedroom."

The Darlington crews returned to their station at 7.30pm, leaving the North Yorkshire firefighters to dampen down the building for several hours.

Cliffe Hall is the Victorian section of a now-gone Georgian mansion by the River Tees.

Owners Caroline and Richard Wilson are known to have operated it as a bed-and-breakfast.

Mr Thompson said: "I couldn't really put a figure on the damage but it will be a substantial amount. One bedroom was absolutely gutted. Part of the roof has come down in that room and it's created a lot of rubble.

"The remainder of the first floor was severely damaged by smoke, and we are talking about a big country hall here."