BUSINESS UPIN SMOKE
Owners devastated after laundrette gutted by fire
A blaze has ripped through a popular family laundrette business in East Kilbride.
Owners of the premises in the Village’s Kirkton Park, Stuart and Tracy Hutton, admit they are “absolutely devastated”. But the couple have been overwhelmed by support from the local community as they bid to fight back. All of the items stored to the rear of the building have been destroyed by fire – including dozens of strips belonging to amateur football teams in East Kilbride and beyond. The Village Laundrette has been a mainstay of the ‘old town’ for more than 50 years and has been in Stuart’s family for more than 20.
An emotional Stuart, 48, told the News: “We are absolutely heartbroken by this and still can’t believe what has happened.
“The fire has gutted the storage area and destroyed everything we had in it but we can’t thank everyone enough – from customers and other businesses to the emergency services – for all they have done to try and help us.”
The devastated owners of a Village laundrette have thanked the community for their support after a fire ripped through their premises.
A blaze on Monday morning destroyed the rear of The Village Laundrette, ruining all the items stored there including dozens of amateur football strips for teams from East Kilbride and beyond.
Owners Stuart and Tracy Hutton, who took over the family business of more than 20 years from Stuart’s parents, say they are absolutely devastated by the fire.
“My late mum Mary worked in the shop for nearly 30 years and my dad Stuart snr and her took it over in 1994,” Stuart, 48, told the News.
“Tracy and myself are absolutely gutted by this but can’t thank our customers, local businesses and the emergency services enough for all that they have done.”
The owner of a neighbouring deli raised the alarm at about 5.30am and two crews from East Kilbride rushed to the premises.
Stuart continued: “He called the fire brigade and then a taxi driver who knows my dad was driving by and spotted the fire. He raced to his house to get him and he contacted us.
“To be honest it’s the little things which are getting to me the most – a jacket of my mum’s which still smelled of the perfume she wore and tickets she had written out were destroyed.
“The shop front escaped the worst of it so we will try and get up and running as soon as we can.”
East Kilbride fire chief Eddie Kelly said: “The fire was contained to a singlestorey laundrette and a positive pressure fan was used to clear smoke from the building and prevent further spread. No one was within the unit. The cause of the fire is unknown.”