Fire guts Chinese restaurant kitchen

1:10pm Sunday 6th July 2008

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A FIRE has gutted the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant and takeaway, forcing it to close temporarily.

Fire fighters were called to The Golden Country, High Street, Stourport-on-Severn at 3.15am today.

A spokesman for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said the fire started in a wheelie bin and spread to an out-building.

No-one was available from West Mercia police to confirm whether the fire was caused by arson and fire investigators called to the scene yesterday.

The business proprietor Irene Lee, aged 42, of Birmingham said: “I have worked hard to get my own business and someone has just walked in and set fire to it. Why do they want to damage other people’s property? We don’t do any harm to anybody. I have tried my best to make the business work, put in all my effort to get it going and someone has just walked in and set fire to it. That’s not right.”

At the height of the blaze four fire engines were tackling the flames which were extinguished by 4.15am.

Mrs Lee said the restaurant itself suffered no damage except from water used by fire fighters to dampen down the blaze in the kitchen.

She does not know how long the business will be closed, when it will re-open again or how much it will cost to repair.

She said: “It won’t be up and running until further notice."