Gary Ruel News Today

Claire Taylor, 40, said all her and her family had time to rescue was her grandfathers ashes, some photographs and a small amount of clothes as the fire tore towards their home in Wennington, east London.

Residents in Wennington, east London, say they took shelter in St Mary and St Peters Church as the advancing inferno tore through the village.

Residents of Wennington, east London - a village devastated by wildfire during Tuesdays record-breaking heatwave - have today made an emotional return to their homes.

Two rows of terraced houses, four other homes, 12 stables and five cars were destroyed by the inferno in Wennington, east of London.

Dozens of people have been left homeless after a fire ripped through the small village, on the outskirts of east London, yesterday amid the UKs 40C heatwave.

As many as 63 homes were gutted across the UK yesterday, with 41 in London alone - including 19 homes in the village of Wennington, and 14 homes and 25 vehicles in a blaze in Dagenham.

London Fire Brigade has declared a major incident across London, with 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters dealing with the ongoing Wennington blaze alone.

As the Essex village succumbed to the 40C heat, evacuated residents were left hoping their houses and pets had survived the fire