Fire crews from Bracknell and Wokingham were called to the scene at about 1.45pm, where the top floor of the house was smoking.

Breathing apparatus and an aerial ladder was used as firefighters tackled the top floor of the property, removing loose tiles and checking for hot spots to ensure it was safe.

The two pumps spent two hours at the scene, and although the house was smoking, there was no fire.

They believe the lightning travelled down a metal beam inside the corner of the chimney before blowing the ceiling out.

The owners, who were out at the time, returned to the property as the fire crews were finishing, but were briefed of the situation before firefighters left.