A cafe owner has said she is in shock after a fire at her seafront business in South Devon.

Tamara Costin, owner of the Beachhouse between Hope Cove and Thurlestone, said she was "devastated" and it was "only just the beginning of what would have been a very busy season".

According to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, the blaze started at the cafe at about 05:50 BST on Friday.

Fire crews from Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Modbury and Plympton were at the scene and said the building was "well alight" when they arrived.

'Terrible shame'

Ms Costin said the National Trust, which owns the land, had assured her they would work with the business to bring the cafe back.

"It's a massive shock, I still can't really believe it," she said.

"It's a terrible shame, it's the beginning of the season."

Ms Costin said she had run the business for 15 years.

"It's just been amazing since we've had it – everybody loves it and it's a bit iconic, I think," she said.

"We have a huge following of regulars who have come for the last 15 years. It's a pretty amazing little place.

"Hopefully we can just rebuild it and it will be the same as it was."

A National Trust spokesperson warned people to "stay away from the remains of the building".

"Our thoughts are with the tenants, employees, and customers who love this cafe," they said.

"We are committed to supporting to get the business back up and running as soon as possible."

Operational resource manager Pete Watts, for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We were called just before 06:00 with a confirmed fire in the cafe.

"On arrival, our first crew from Kingsbridge were faced with quite a significant fire that was well developed and fully involving the cafe.

"Crews have worked hard to extinguish the fire but as you can see, the building has been destroyed.

"Water supplies did cause us a slight issue this morning."

He added: "The cause at the moment is unknown but it will be investigated."