A hairdresser who lives next door to the chip shop has also revealed how he is fearing losing thousands of pounds of trade.

Dave Benbow Hairdressing was left with terrible smoke and ash damage.

Mr Benbow, aged 41, was forced to cancel 10 appointments yesterday and dozens more for the rest of the week due to the damage. He said: “We’ve been here eight years and we’ve never seen anything like this. I locked up at 5.30pm and had just got home when I had a call from a client to say, ‘You’d better get back up here, there’s a fire at the back of your property’.

“It’s just a nightmare. I was fully booked (yesterday) and had to cancel all the appointments I reckon I’ve lost about £300 for just one day. “We employ three staff and I’ve told them not to come in.”