The Halesworth newsagent whose business was devastated by the blaze started by arsonist Stephen Wilson has spoken of the effect the fire has had on him.

David Patrick described the toll the blaze had taken on his health as well as his business.

In the months following the fire, which destroyed his premises in Halesworth town centre, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had then started getting pains in his chest.

Doctors found he had three blocked arteries and following surgery for his prostate cancer he is now waiting to go into hospital to have stents put in his heart.

With the help of his loyal staff 62-year-old Mr Patrick, who has run his business for more than 30 years, managed to deliver newspapers to his customers the day after the blaze and he is currently running his business from a former newsagents shop in The Thoroughfare in Halesworth.

Although the premises destroyed in the blaze were insured Mr Patrick, who was a fireman in Halesworth for 27 years, now faces the worry of waiting to see if his policy will cover the full cost of rebuilding or whether he will have to foot some of the bill himself.