FIRE crews battled to save a cottage last night as flames threatened the sleepy village of Turville, real life location of TV series The Vicar of Dibley.

Around 30 firefighters and at least six fire engines fought back the flames in the tiny hamlet, which was also filming location for the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Daffyd Thomas scenes from Little Britain.

Crews were called at 4.58 pm to the two storey cottage on Holloway Lane after a fire began in a utility room.

A woman was present in the house with her daughter at the time. The woman, who wished not to be named, said: "I heard a tinkling of glass in the other room.

"I checked on my daughter in the front room, then looked out of the window and saw smoke.

"I grabbed my daughter and shoved her out of the house.

"When I went back in the whole house was full of smoke."

The woman then tried to dial the emergency services but could not as the fire had disabled the telephone. She ran out onto the village green where a passer by was able to contact the fire brigade using a mobile phone.

The fire crews were able to bring the flames under control, and were beginning to leave the scene at eight o'clock. The house was seriously damaged.

John Bull, station manager at High Wycombe fire station said: "The fire began in the ground floor utility room - we're still investigating that.

"The fire had gone straight into the roof so that you couldn't get access easily."

The house is owned by the woman's partner, who was away at the time of the fire. She said: "My partner has owned the house for years, and he'll be very upset.

"I think it's sad because when something like this happens you lose all of the memories that are connected to a place."