3:59pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
By Will Carson
BUSINESS owners have spoken at their devastation after a fire started by arsonists destroyed their offices.
They spoke as the hunt continued for arsonists believed to have started the blaze at a unit in Fareham Industrial Park in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Around 12 offices were completely destroyed as the blaze, which broke out shortly after 3.15am, ravaged the entire first floor of the building.
A similar number of offices on the ground floor suffered water damage as a result of fire crews’ attempts to extinguish the blaze.
Ray Khan, whose company Khan Morris Accountants had two first-floor offices in the building, said: “When I found out what had happened I was in shock. I still can’t believe that our offices have been destroyed.
“We are not going to be able to work for at least a week and the builders have said a rebuild of the office block could take four months.
“It is totally gutting.”
PR company Polymedia suffered water damage to their ground floor office.
Owner Martin Fuge said: “Hopefully it is just water damage. We got the server out so fingers crossed we will be all right. We are lucky our office wasn’t on the first floor.”
Coach company Lucketts Travel were forced to move around 12 of their vehicles from their yard which backs on to the building.
Chairman David Luckett said: “It was a very lucky escape. Thankfully we had night staff working who raised the alarm.”
More than 60 firefighters and a team of police officers were called to the scene off Wallington Way.
Two fire appliances from Cosham Fire Station, two from Fareham, one from Wickham and an appliance from Portchester attended the fire. The Incident Command Unit, an area platform ladder and three water tenders were also in attendance.
The Arson Task Force have been called in to investigate the cause of the blaze.
Detective Constable Sarah Ridler said: “We have reason to believe this fire was started deliberately and a scene guard will remain on at the location for as long as is needed to establish how this fire happened.
“We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously in the area at the time of the fire. We would also like to hear from anyone with information about those responsible.”
■ Contact Fareham CID on 0845 045 45 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/trade_directory/