Prominent Dartmouth councillor Hilary Bastone has been left homeless following a fire at his Paignton house.

The South Hams district councillor and his partner Debbie have been staying at a Premier Inn in Paignton since last Thursday's blaze.

Now they are looking for somewhere more permanent to stay after being told that their home will have to be virtually rebuilt before they can move back in.

This week Mr Bastone praised friends and colleagues in Dartmouth for their 'amazing' support. He said: 'People have offered us flats and even a new house to live in. All sorts of people have come up with offers. Friends and local people have been marvellous.'

The fire started in the couple's dishwasher while they were both out last Thursday morning. The blaze left the kitchen and the lounge-diner in the three-bedroom home completely burned out.

All the bedrooms upstairs suffered smoke damage, as did all the couple's clothing.

The fire burned through the water feed to the dishwasher and mains water was left gushing out for at least three hours, flooding the basement flat below.

'The building has virtually been gutted,' said Mr Bastone, who was in meeting at South Hams Council's Follaton House headquarters in Totnes when he was told what had happened.

'Debbie rang me and left a message telling me to ring her urgently. When I did she said there had been a fire,' he said.

He added that when he saw the damage – which has destroyed all the belongings downstairs – he found it 'distressing'.

Crews from two Paignton fire engines tackled the blaze at around 12.30pm after neighbours reported smoke coming from the building. They had to force their way into the home before using water to put out the fire.

Mr Bastone added: 'The neighbours have been brilliant and the insurance company has been excellent.'

He said the loss adjusters had said it was the third dishwasher fire they had dealt with that week.

'We will not be able to move back in for three or four months, though they have said we will be back in time for Christmas,' he added.

The couple moved into the Premier Inn at Paignton after the fire but stayed with friends at the weekend as the motel was fully booked.

They are now back at the motel but Mr Bastone said they would have to find a flat or a house fairly soon.