Artist Walter taken to hospital after escaping fire at his studio
RENOWNED artist Walter Kershaw was taken to hospital after a fire at his Littleborough studio.
Walter, 76, who is famous for his giant street murals, suffered smoke inhalation after the blaze at his studio and home on Todmorden Road.
He said: “I was woken up by a friend of mine who was walking the dog. He was shouting ‘Walter, Walter, your house is on fire’.
“I rushed downstairs and got out.”
Firefighters were called to the blaze at about 6am on Friday.
Extensive damage was caused to the kitchen, but luckily the flames didn’t spread to the studio at the front of the building where Walter keeps scores of his paintings.
Walter, who was taken to the Royal Oldham Hospital for a check-up and discharged after a few hours, says the fire is thought to have been started by a fault in his boiler.
He added: “The kitchen is completely destroyed, but luckily it hasn’t spread to the front of the building which is where I keep all my paintings.
“They are covered in a dust and soot, but thankfully none have been damaged.
“I will be able to clean them up and they’ll be fine.
“At the minute I don’t have any heating or hot water and it’s destroyed the electrics as well, so I’m relying on neighbours to help me out until I get it repaired. But the main thing is no-one was hurt.”
A spokesman for the fire service said a small blaze had broken out in the kitchen at the back of the building.
Smoke damage caused throughout studio.
Walter, whose works include the 100ft Trafford Park painting on the side of warehouse near Old Trafford, has been described as a the ‘Original Banksy’ for his pioneering form of street art. was the