A GWENT restaurant was gutted yesterday by a raging fire which could be seen from miles away.

Pontypool's Harvester restaurant was destroyed in a ball of flames which leapt 50 feet into the air while plumes of black smoke drifted hundreds of feet up.

More than 20 firefighters from across Gwent battled the fire using three engines, two water tankers and a hydraulic lift, which sprayed water down on the blaze.

No-one was injured in the fire, but a witness who was evacuated from the restaurant told the Argus about 25-30 people had been dining in the building just before the blaze took hold.

Within two hours the building was virtually reduced to rubble.

Mark Gray, from St Dials, was having a meal with his girlfriend, Laura Clark, when the fire alarm sounded at about 4.10pm.

He said: "We'd just had our starter and were waiting for the main course when the alarms sounded."

Ms Clark said: "We couldn't believe it when we got out - it wasn't until then we realised how bad it was, it's frightening, really."

It is understood that the fire, which is not being treated as suspicious, may have started in the attic.