02 Jan 2013
A blaze which wrecked not only a warehouse but several of its firms’ hopes of a happy new year was not the result of arson, reports indicate.
Around 30 businesses were affected in the fire at Etruria’s Twyfords factory in Garner Street, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Investigators speaking on behalf of an 80-strong fire-fighting team, which spent the weekend tackling the inferno, say they believe it was started accidentally.
The incident happened on Friday December 28.
No further details are being released by fire investigators at the moment.
Mark Mason, owner of one of the affected companies, Creative Vision Photography, said it would cost him at least £15,000 to replace the damaged equipment.
Mr Mason said: “I’m just gob-smacked. I am gutted. The whole livelihood is gone. My partner’s business is there as well. So that’s our two main incomes just gone.”
IT company Complete ICT was another business damaged in the blaze.
Copyright Press Association 2013