Holidaymakers have been forced to abandon a campsite in Zeeland after a fire destroyed the on-site restaurant.

The site in Renesse had to be evacuated when the flames engulfed the building on Korte Moermondsweg early on Thursday morning.

The fire started in the kitchen at around 4.30am. Zeeland’s fire service took two hours to bring the blaze under control, while campers were accommodated on a neighbouring site and nearby garden centre.

“There was a lot of smoke,” a fire service spokesman said. “Campsite guests whose tent or caravan was affected by smoke were woken by us and the police and taken to a safe place.”

Visitors were allowed to return to their tents after 9am. They were advised to wear gloves to handle debris from the fire and wipe traces of soot from cars, bicycles and garden furniture using soap and water.