Tyrrells crisps factory boss praises fire services after blaze

Bosses at a crisp factory on the Shropshire border have today praised firefighters from 12 stations who spent more than four hours fighting a massive blaze at their site.

Fire chiefs have today confirmed the blaze started accidentally at about 12.30pm on Monday when an extraction chimney caught fire in a store room at the Tyrrells Potato Chips factory near Leominster.

The roof of a 70 metre by 30 metre building was severely damaged by the flames, despite more than 50 firefighters using breathing apparatus and high ladders to tackle the blaze.

But Tyrrells marketing director Oliver Rudgard today said the fast action of the firefighters, who were on the scene within 10 minutes, had prevented more damage being caused.

Mr Rudgard said: "The team at Tyrrells would like to thank the attending fire service for their highly professional action.

"It was great that we had such fantastic support and we are really pleased with the fire service's heroic response when we called. We obviously had to evacuate the building but it is amazing to think that after a fire of that scale we had started sending orders again by last night in time for the Bank Holiday rush."

Mr Rudgard added: "The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by our team here, however, our manufacturing capability has been unaffected due to the localised nature of the fire."

He said: "It is strange that it has taken place in a store and not the frying room where the crisps are actually made. but our smoke alarms went off straight away."

Fire crews from Kingsland, Leominster, Peterchurch, Eardisley, Hereford, Kington, Malvern, Bromyard, Leinwardine, Stourport and Tenbury and the urban search and rescue team were all fighting the fire.

Paul Honeghan, communications officer at Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The investigations have shown that the fire originated in an extraction chimney and spread along the roof along a timber beam. The cause has been confirmed as accidental."

By Danny Carden