A derelict country pub has been severely damaged by fire overnight. 

The blaze broke out at The Rose and Crown pub on Cholesbury Lane in Hawridge at around 11.20pm on Monday night. 

Firefighters battled the fire overnight, with crews from Amersham, Beaconsfield, High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Berkhamsted at the scene. 

The fire was still causing delays in the area this morning, with a number of road closures in place and Thames Valley Police warning of disruption. 

The pub, which is in the Green Belt and AONB, closed around 2013. 

A planning application submitted in 2016 to demolish the pub and redevelop it into four homes was refused by Chiltern District Council and an appeal was dismissed amid concerns from the Planning Inspectorate that it would "harm" the character of the area. 

Another planning application was submitted in November last year to demolish the pub and replace it with three homes and a cafe that would be a "social centre" for cyclists enjoying the Chiltern Hills - but a decision has yet to be made.