Cakes survive bakery fire as clean up operation begins

3:40pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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CAKES are all that remain intact in the charred window of a bakery gutted by fire in Grays High Street yesterday afternoon.

Fire ripped through the Marks and Murrays bakery and the shop Shoe Fayre next door.

Both shops were closed today, their signs on the front completely destroyed.

It took seven fire crews more than three hours to get the blaze under control after they arrived at the scene at 1.16pm.

Workmen in overalls turned up at the bakery today to begin clearing it out.

Next door Shoe Fayre is locked up and empty, the extensive damage to the ceiling visible from the outside, with lengths of metal and wood hanging down.

The windows of the stock room above the shoe shop, which is said to have taken the brunt of the blaze, are now boarded up.

The only other two buildings affected by the fire were Nationwide bank next door to Shoe Fayre and the neighbouring Natwest bank.

Both banks have no fire damage, only smoke damage.

They are both closed while industrial cleaners get to work.

Nationwide cashier Sue Brown, from Grays, was at work yesterday when smoke started coming into the building, she said: "Smoke started coming through the air vent and as we looked outside we saw smoke everywhere, we were then evacuated to the trees by the Betster betting shop.

"There is just smoke damage inside, the smell means that no customers can go in because of health and safety.

"The industrial cleaners are in now doing one room at a time so hopefully we will be open tomorrow."

Natwest had two members of staff on the door dealing with the large queues, the bank were allowing customers to pay money in but warned them that it would not be processed for a few days.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation and is not thought to be suspicious.