A house made of straw and hemp panels passed a fire resistance test where it was exposed to temperatures over 1,000°C, a university said.

Balehaus@Bath - built of pre-fabricated straw-bale and hemp sections - has fire resistance "as good as houses built of conventional building materials", according to new research.

One of the panels used in the construction was exposed to the searing heat by the University of Bristol team.

To reach the required standard the panel had to withstand the heat for more than 30 minutes. Over two hours later - four times as long as required - the panel had still not failed.

Belfast Telegraph