A MYSTERY blaze that ripped through a Hampshire business is estimated to have caused hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage.

Nathan Painter, owner of Hythe Garage, has revealed the full extent of the damage caused by the inferno which destroyed seven years of hard work.

As reported in yesterday’s Daily Echo, fire engulfed the Waterside workshop just before 6am on Monday.

More than 50 firefighters rushed to the scene as the blaze in Prospect Place, Hythe, sent a huge cloud of thick black smoke over the village.

The Hythe to Southampton ferry service had to stop running for more than a hour and bus company Bluestar also suspended its service after police cordoned off the area.

Pictures from the scene show an arson investigation unit present at the scene on Tuesday.

Describing the moment he first glimpsed the fire, Mr Painter, 28, said: “When I came round the corner and saw the flames my heart just stopped.

“It’s a seven-year-old business that I’ve built up from one ramp to six. I started with just one person and now we’ve got five.

“I’m absolutely devastated. I have no idea how much it will cost to replace everything but it could be hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

Police and firefighters have launched a joint investigation into the blaze, which follows a fire at the nearby war memorial in Prospect Place Park a few weeks ago.

Mr Painter praised members of the local community, saying they had been “incredibly supportive” in the wake of the fire.

Hythe residents have turned to social media to describe their shock and dismay. They have also voiced their hopes that the business will reopen.

Kerry Malkinson posted: “Feel bad for the guy who owns it. He’s a great guy that does great service.”

Veronica Clasby added: “Thank God no-one was hurt – and good luck to the garage owners with the hard work ahead.”

But Hythe Garage was not the only business affected by the blaze.

Describing the impact of the fire as “massive”, neighbouring Hythe and Waterside Sales and Lettings said the incident had cost it a full day’s business.

Staff at the agency in Prospect Place said they had been forced to work from their boss’s house after power was cut off following the blaze.

Their e-mail system was down and the police cordon had prevented customers from reaching the shop, they said.