Firefighters were involved in a rescue bid to save seven tarantulas and six lizards they found inside a blazing flat in Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, yesterday.

The crews battled the large fire inside an empty cafe with a flat above it before they found numerous vivariums and cages for exotic pets upstairs.

They carefully carried the containers out on to the street where two fire support volunteers examined the cages to see if the exotic pets were alive.

An RSPCA officer arrived and found a total of seven tarantula spiders of varying sizes which had all perished from smoke fumes.

They identified four leopard gecko lizards that are usually found in the desert in Asia and two other lizards.

All of the reptiles survived the blaze due to the air-tight tanks and were taken away by the RSPCA to be checked over by a vet.

The body of a dead pet rabbit was also recovered from the premises.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the fire but it is not thought to have been started deliberately.

The Cool Beans cafe was closed at the time of the 6.30am fire and the flat above was empty as the tenant and owner of the exotic pets is believed to be away on holiday.

A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said yesterday: “We were called at about 6.30am today to a very severe fire to a commercial premises with flats over the top.

“We didn’t know whether there was anybody trapped in the building and the crews treated it as a recovery operation just in case.

“They were initially beaten back by the flames at the front of the building but the fire was put out from the rear and front.

“There was nobody in the building but there were numerous tanks and vivariums containing exotic pets found.

“We brought them outside to establish what they were, how many they were and if they were okay.”

The fire caused severe damage to the two storey property, caused neighbouring flats to be evacuated and the main Christchurch Road to be closed for over three hours.

Eight fire crews attended the incident.