The 35-metre structure was erected in 2010 by renewable energy specialist Dulas.

A Dulas spokesman told This is North Devon: “We can confirm that an incident occurred with a turbine in the Bradworthy area of North Devon in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“We can reassure the local community that due to the isolated location of the turbine, no one was put at risk and we are currently working hard to establish the precise cause of the incident.

“Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK. They are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root-cause analysis investigation.

“We will continue to keep communication open and provide updates as and when we have further information.”