CHIP SHOP FIRE DRAMA

TWO HURT AS BLAZE HITS FISH BAR

Two men were treated by paramedics for the effects of breathing in smoke when a chip shop caught fire at the weekend.

Crews were called to the Singleton Fish Bar in the Singleton Centre off Hoxton Close just before 3.30pm.

They discovered smoke coming from the premises, with the ground floor of the two-storey property well alight.

Firefighters donned breathing apparatus and set about tackling the blaze with a main jet and two high-pressure hose reel jets.

The ground floor has been severely damaged by the blaze which was dealt with by 5pm.

The men were treated as a precaution but were not seriously hurt in the incident.

The fire is being treated as accidental and is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Workers from the Singleton Tandoori, which is located near to the fish bar, arrived at 5.20pm to open up their business for the evening and were shocked at the scene.

Restaurant owner I an Sleeper said: “As I walked towards my premises I could already smell burning and then when I got there I could see that the fish bar seemed to be completely gutted.

“The fire engines and police cars were still at the scene but were at the rear of the premises.

“My own business was left untouched by the fire but it was a very big shock.

“My f i rst thought was whether anybody was hurt. My second thought is whether the staff there have to lose their jobs because of this.”

On Monday, the shop shutters were down on the fish bar with a taped cordon in place.

A sign on the building said: “We are closed due to the fire. We are hoping to open soon. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

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The fish bar is closed after a fire

Ian Sleeper, of Singleton Tandoori, was shocked to see the damage caused by the fire