Plastics factory counts cost of blaze

BOSSES at a plastics factory badly damaged by a fierce blaze have been counting the cost after expensive machinery was destroyed.

Proprietors of Haverhill Mould and Tooling said they were now looking for alternative premises in which to continue manufacturing following Wednesday night's fire.

Around ten workers usually employed at the site are awaiting news of any developments, while operations have been postponed until a new site is found.

"The main floor of the building has gone, and machinery has been badly damaged – machinery which is worth more than the factory itself," said proprietor Nigel Farenden.

"I was absolutely gutted when I heard about the fire, and would not like to say how much damage has been caused until the insurance company has been in touch.

"We are looking for other premises, but have got to get back up and running as soon as possible, before all our clients go elsewhere.

"The fire service don't know what started the blaze yet, but think it may have been caused by an electrical fault. We also had lots of flammable materials at the factory, which did not help matters."

The blaze at the factory in Boundary Road, Haverhill, where car lights, furniture parts and motorway signs are manufactured, began at around 6.25pm.

Around 20 firefighters arrived on scene to find smoke billowing from the building, and were confronted by collapsing flooring and heavy fumes from plastic and paraffin fuel.

Crews from Haverhill, Clare and Wickhambrook all attended, bringing the blaze under control in just over two hours.

The main structure of the building suffered smoke and heat damage, with a hole in the roof. The main casualty of the fire was the specialist machinery stored inside. Investigations into the cause are continuing.