A year on from the devastating blast which rocked the centre of Shrewsbury, Emma Kasprzak meets those affected by the explosion to see how they are faring 12 months on.

It started as a cold, quiet Sunday after New Year. But then a massive explosion tore through a flat in the heart of Shrewsbury, bringing the building crashing down and leaving five young people seriously hurt in hospital.

Four people in the flat – Scott Godbold, Sarah Pearse, Sam Devine Turner and Annie Davies – along with Kiley McDonnell, who had been starring in the pantomime at the nearby Theatre Severn, were left with horrific injuries.

Today, 12 months on, those who witnessed the incident or who were affected by it have spoken about there hopes that the new year would bring a fresh start.

Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow said he was impressed with the community spirit shown by people in the town.

He said: “The explosion was a terrible shock for everyone, but I think it brought out the best in people who came together to offer support to each other when it really mattered.

“I think everyone did a great job to get roads open as quickly as possible to keep Shrewsbury moving, and the council worked tirelessly to promote the message that Shrewsbury was open for business.”

Traders in the town centre reported damage to their buildings and to trade as customers stayed away for months following the blast and subsequent road closures.

Hatice Celebi runs A Stitch in Time, in Mardol. She lives with her husband and children above Star Kebab, a takeaway restaurant run by her husband, which is also in Mardol.

The family had to flee their home and temporarily close their businesses at the start of the year due to structural damage to the buildings following the explosion.

She said: “We were badly affected but we are back to normal now. The first six months were really difficult but we are just trying to forget about it now.

“We’ve been looking forward to beginning a New Year although we are a bit scared of the date of the explosion.

“Our customers supported us so well and all the businesses in Mardol tried to help each other recover.

“The New Year will be a fresh start and everything will be much better.”

Ollie Parry owns the Salopian Bar, in Smithfield Road. He was one of the first people on the scene after the explosion and helped look after the casualties.

He said: “The memory has faded a bit now but I was the first to arrive and what I found was crazy. I went into the rubble to drag people out.”

He added: “In the first few days after it happened it did affect my business and all those in the immediate area.

“The road was shut for a month or so but the support of the town was amazing.

“We all came together and, although the road being closed put people off coming into town, once it reopened eventually things got back to normal.”

Looking ahead to this year Mr Parry said: “Moving on, I walk past it every day and nothing has happened to the site yet so I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen there.

“It’s 12 months on and we still don’t know officially what caused it. That could go on for years and I feel sorry for the people who were injured who haven’t got answers.

“Everyone did survive which was probably down to it happening when it did when the town was quiet. If it had been any other day than a Sunday people would have died.”