£10k of stock destroyed in charity shop fire

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07 Dec 2012

The owners of a charity shop in Norfolk are mourning the loss of thousands of pounds worth of uninsured stock after a fire broke out on the premises on Thursday December 6th.
According to the Norwich Evening News, the incident occurred at around 10pm in a part of Dereham town centre that had been earmarked for a £1 million redevelopment programme.
Firefighters were called to the Pact animal charity shop on Norwich Street where they worked to prevent the flames from spreading to neighbouring buildings.
By midnight the blaze had been extinguished, but crews remained on the scene because smoke was still emanating from the shop.
A cordon has been placed around the burnt-out building and an investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Chris Rockingham, co-founder of Pact, said he believes the second-hand stock inside the shop was valued at as much as £10,000. All of it was uninsured.
"I am devastated," he told the local newspaper. "It's completely ruined.
Shop manager Soraya Parnell said firefighters have been trying to access the back of a neighbouring fast food outlet where it is believed the blaze may have started.
"I helped the fire brigade with questions about any hazards," she remarked. "It seems to have started behind us in the chip shop but they are investigating so will get the cause of it no doubt."
She added: "We are going to be moving into the old Birds sports shop early in the New Year but will be a few months without a shop in Dereham.
"I'm disappointed for all the people who have donated lovely items for us to sell for the animal care only to see it go up in smoke."
Under the The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be carried out on all commercial properties in Scotland.
Failure to comply with the legislation can lead to an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years for the Duty Holder.