A CRIMINAL investigation is now underway after arson was determined as the cause of a fire that engulfed a Ringwood shopping centre.

Firefighters from across Hampshire and Dorset were sent to tackle the blaze at Meeting House Shopping Centre where the fire had been started deliberately early Sunday morning.

It is believed it was started in a commercial bin which was up against the rear wall of the building.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "The examination of the fire scene has eliminated all possible ignition sources apart from a deliberate source," a spokesman for the fire service said.

A business owner who has battled cancer was on his way for a much-needed holiday with his wife when they were told their shop was on fire.

Ringwood Celebrations gift shop owners Nicky and Mike Beeston were boarding the plane to Las Vegas, to mark Mike having been given the all-clear, when they were called about the blaze that engulfed part of Meeting House Shopping Centre on Sunday.

“We had to make a snap decision if we went or stayed and we didn’t know how bad it was at that time,” Mrs Beeston said. “It wasn’t until we arrived that we saw the video footage on the Echo website and saw how bad it was.

“We are devastated. It’s a card shop – Christmas is our main time of year. It was crammed full of stock and it will all have been destroyed. We have lost everything in our shop.

“It has been an awful, awful year,” she added. “We were talking about how excited we were and then we got that call. What needs to happen is happening so there’s very little we could have done had we been there.

“We are overwhelmed by the messages of support we have received from our customers and other local businesses. Our shop manager, Roxy Oxford, has been amazing and we can’t thank her enough. Mike’s son-in-law Simon has also been doing what he can in our absence.”

The Sue Ryder charity shop was also closed after Sunday morning’s fire. Paul Martin, the charity’s national PR manager, said: “It really has devastated the whole community.

“We’re asking any owners of business units around to help us put up a pop-up shop. We want to get in quickly.

“All the stock will be smoke damaged and fire damaged so extra donations will be gratefully received. The loss of income, especially in the run up to Christmas, is going to impact us.”

It costs around £8,000 a day to run the Leckhampton Court Hospice in Gloucestershire funded by Sue Ryder shops.

The fire began at around 7.50am and was believed to have started in a wheelie bin thought to be touching the building.

It soon spread quickly throughout the rear corner of the shopping centre, affecting six stores in total. The cause of the fire has not yet been identified.

Robert Long, owner of greengrocers Longs which he has run for 22 years, reopened his doors at around 10.30am yesterday.

Had it not been for a retaining wall separating his business from Celebrations next door he said his business would have suffered a lot more.

“If the wall had been made of ply board we wouldn’t be standing here now, “ he said. “The more time we’re shut it’s more money.

“We just want to get it back up and running. Businesses are perishable and our customer base is very loyal.”

One resident, Roger Bettle, who runs his own pop-up gallery business nearby, said: “It is a disaster for these people, Sue Ryder particularly at a time when they need these donations. It is a dark time ahead for them.

“It is a great shop but I can’t think of another similar property in the town which is vacant enough for them to move in to.”