OWNERS and guests had a lucky escape when a Bryncrug pub was set alight by a lightning strike in the early hours of Wednesday morning as storms raged over Meirionnydd.

The Peniarth Arms, which also operates as a B&B, was set alight after its chimney stack was struck by lightning just after midnight.

The power went off and, when Suzanne Fox went to investigate, a small explosion covered her in debris from the ceiling.

“At first I thought I’d been covered in glass but then realised it was plaster from the chimney breast,” she said

“We quickly evacuated everyone from the B&B and phoned the fire brigade.

“The building is three storeys high and the attic was hit. Luckily we were on the ground floor.

“We went to investigate and found the place was filled with smoke.

“It was only later that we found out that lightning had struck through the roof leaving two holes and the attic was on fire

“I’m devastated this morning but everyone’s okay and nobody was hurt.”

Firefighters rushed to the attic fire and spent three hours extinguishing the flames and making the area safe.

The storm caused power cuts across the region.