Mark and Carol Wenn were woken up shortly before 3.30am yesterday to the sound of their fire alarm ringing.

It was then they discovered their home, the Old Mill pub in Drayton, near Norwich, had become overwhelmed by fumes.

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The roof of the building has been completely destroyed (Image: Sonya Duncan)

Police have put a cordon in place at the site (Image: Sonya Duncan)

Mr Wenn, said: "I could smell smoke and when I came down, the porch was on fire."

Firefighters swarmed the scene "about 10 minutes later" and worked to tackle the blaze, which engulfed the Greene King pub before a stop message was issued at 7.09am.

Crews from Earlham, Wroxham, Carrow and Sprowston, an aerial ladder platform from Earlham and a water carrier from Hethersett attended the scene.

Mark and Carol pictured here together with members of staff outside the pub (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The couple, who live in the flat attached to the pub, say their home has not been damaged by the fire but is now damp and covered in smoke.

Mrs Wenn said: "I'm just gutted. The people of this community have lost their pub and nine staff members have lost their jobs."

"It's been really touching to see how the community has rallied together around us," Mr Wenn added.

"One of our customers has offered us a place to stay for as long as we need."

Mark and Carol Wenn who are franchisees of the Greene King pub (Image: Greene King)

One member of staff, who did not want to be named, said: "I'm just in disbelief. We were getting ready for the World Cup, now we don't know what's going to happen."

The couple took to social media to announce the pub would be closed for "a while" before adding: "Our beautiful pub was firebombed at 3am this morning. We are all okay and safe. The pub will be closed for a while and the police are going to launch a major investigation and hopefully catch the culprit."

Neighbour Dave Jones, whose home overlooks the pub, said he was woken up by the flashing lights of emergency services.

"The flames were coming through the roof," he said.

"It's not something you expect to see. I was just at the pub only on Saturday after the football. Mark and Carol are a decent couple and it's such a shame to see this happen."

Paul Woods, a retired stonemason who used to live opposite, was also shocked at the sight of the destroyed building.

Paul Woods who lives in Thorpe Marriott pictured here with his dog, Skye (Image: Newsquest)

He said: "It's terrible to see. Generally, it's a lovely area and we used to have some good times in the pub when I was a teenager. You just can't believe it."

A cordon has been left in place and investigators arrived around midday on Monday (April 13) to find out the cause of the fire.

Two fire engines returned to the scene on Monday ahead of investigators carrying out their work (Image: Newsquest)

The crew were checking there were no more hotspots at the site (Image: Newsquest)

Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into the suspected arson attack and are appealing for information.

A spokesman for Greene King said: "We are extremely grateful for the swift actions of emergency services after a fire broke out at the Old Mill.

"Thankfully, no one was harmed or injured and we are working with emergency services to assess the damage and cause of the fire. The pub will remain closed for the time being, and when we know more we will provide an update on when we expect the pub to reopen."

Formerly known as the Otter, the pub was given a £445,000 refurbishment in October 2024 when the couple, who worked at the pub, stepped up as franchisees.

The major revamp included all new furniture and fittings as well as seating lighting and a bar.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information should contact police quoting reference 36/25518/26.

© Eastern Daily Press