TWO pet cats died in a fire at a family home in Cirencester.

Firefighters were called to the house in Moss Way at 2.49pm on Saturday, May 28, arriving at the scene at 3.08pm.

Half of the ground floor was damaged by the blaze and two cats which were inside the property died “as a result of smoke inhalation”, a spokesman for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.

The family of four, including two toddlers, who live at the house were not there when the fire happened. The family have been informed of the tragedy.

Sharona Watson, who lives next door to the property and reported the blaze to the emergency services, said that she and her family saw black smoke coming from the house while in their back garden.

She knocked on the door but there was no answer. She said she saw the two cats in the house but they refused to come out.

Neighbours said the fire may have started from the kitchen and may have been an electrical fire which involved the melting of some plastic material.