MORE than 20 horses were rescued when they were threatened by a river of burning diesel from a blazing barn.

It has not been revealed how the fire started at James Mead Farm in Winchester Road, Fair Oak, at 3.50pm yesterday.

The blaze was so fierce that it melted a 1,100-litre diesel tank spilling fuel towards the stables.

All of the horses had to be led down to the bottom of the field by stable hands as firefighters dealt with the flames.

One of those evacuated was a New Forest pony belonging to nine-year-old Bethany Reynolds.

Her father Andrew, 39, of North Baddesley, was at the scene when the fire broke out.

He said: "Someone noticed the fire in the barn.

"I went up with a hose reel and tried to put it out but it had no effect whatsoever. "

He said about ten people began evacuating the horses.

"Everybody mucked in and got horses down into the adjoining fields and moved cars.

"The stables didn't catch fire and the horses were able to go back inside afterwards.

"Luckily the diesel tank was plastic and it melted rather than exploded - that could have had dire consequences."

Nobody was hurt in the incident and no animals were injured.

Four tonnes of hay and straw were also ablaze inside the barn, which was totally destroyed.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The diesel from the tank began flowing out of the barn and across the stables in a river of flames. The watch commander placed hose jets between the barn and the stables until the flames were out. But there was quite a tense moment when the flames were just two metres from the stables.

"They were able to put out the flames quite quickly but there was a lot of smoke and the barn completely collapsed.''

Two fire appliances from Eastleigh, one from Botley and one from Bishop's Waltham attended the scene, along with a water carrier and special equipment unit from St Mary's.

Police had to close off part of the road to enable a water carrier hose to run across it and up the driveway into the farm.

The owners of the farm declined to comment.