HE may have lost nearly everything but fire-eater Howie Morley is determined that the show must go on.

Circus performer Howie will take to the stage tonight just hours after watching his possessions go up in smoke. His lorry caught fire in the early hours of yesterday while he and partner Kate Thomas were fast asleep inside.

Tonight they take part in the opening night of their latest show in Winchester. Kate, a performer and singer, woke up to find their 1970s Mercedes truck ablaze. They sprang out of bed and escaped just minutes before the vehicle burst into flames.

The whole of the NoFit State Circus company troupe were quickly on the scene to help fight the flames using fire extinguishers and setting up a bucket chain to the nearby River Itchen.

The couple's life possessions were in the lorry and it had been kitted out with a double bed, shower, sofa and kitchen.

Howie, 36, said: "Performers say 'the show must go on' because it's what we are living for. We've got something great to show people and there's no reason for packing up and stopping just because there has been a bit of a catastrophe.

"We're just so lucky to be alive. Everyone has been rallying around us and we've been given things like toothbrushes and socks. We have been sifting through the debris and have managed to find some photos intact and remarkably both of our passports. I even found my wallet."

An electrical fault in the engine is thought to have caused the blaze.

The NoFit State Circus company, based in Cardiff, is made up of 35 performers. Their "ImMortal" show features aerial acrobatics, rope work and performance art. They will be performing at North Walls recreation ground until July 4.