PREMONITIONS of a blazing house caused the owner of an historic Worcestershire manor to make extra checks on his home before going on holiday - only for him to have to return a day later because it had caught fire.

The blaze began at Wyke Manor near Pershore, yesterday morning after sunlight streaming through a glass paperweight on the windowsill set light to a tapestry.

No one was injured and fast action by firefighters saved the mediaeval timbered building from destruction, but the music room and chapel were smoke-damaged.

Businessman Charles Hudson rushed back from holiday when he heard what had happened. But he has told the Evening News that not only he, but his mother and a family friend had all dreamt about the incident at Wyke Manor, near Pershore, before it happened.

The 52-year-old said strange feelings about an impending fire had made him extra cautious before leaving for a break in Devon on Wednesday.

But, ironically, it appears the house, which has been in his family for 300 years, was already smouldering when he left.

"I have been told that the fire was started by sunlight reflecting off a glass paperweight," said the father-of-three, who makes real confetti from delphiniums grown at the next-door farm.

"This, in turn, set fire to some tapestry work, which took about 12 hours to actually catch light and spread.

"I have never had a premonition before, so I was really worried when I had this one.

"I always have someone living in the house when I am away to look after it, but this time I made extra checks that everything was OK because of this strange feeling I was getting.

"However, it appears the tapestry may already have been smouldering when I left in the afternoon."

A friend of Mr Hudson's nephew, who was looking after the house, was woken by smoke and raised the alarm.

Despite the fact several valuable paintings were smoke damaged, some of which date back to the 18th Century, Mr Hudson considers himself lucky.

"I feel very lucky that the whole house did not go up in flames," he added.

"It could so easily have been a total disaster. We were lucky in that we had removed the curtains from the music room bay window to let more light in.

"If we had not done that I am certain the curtains would have caught fire and the whole house would have been destroyed.

"As it was, several paintings were smoke damaged, but these can be repaired. The damage is remarkably slight."