Mansfield shop owner 'devastated' after fire destroyed his business

Crews were called to the fire at Bolek I Lolek on Clumber Street, Mansfield town centre, in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, with town centre roads, including the inner ring road, closed at the height of the firefighting operation.

Five fire crews from Kirkby’s Ashfield, Warsop, Edwinstowe and Mansfield fire stations were called to the scene, alongside the aerial ladder platform, with Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service saying its joint control room “received a high number of calls” about the incident.

The supermarket, which sold English and Eastern European goods, only opened last year.

However, the building has been badly damaged by the fire, with the roof collapsing.

A structural engineer attended this morning, before an investigation into the cause was launched.

Shop owner Honar Rafik, aged 39, was inside the building when the blaze broke out.

Honar, who opened the Polish, Romanian and Slovakian supermarket six months ago, after he moved to Mansfield from Leeds, said: “I was inside and it was about midnight. I was making orders for the shop because I bring in everything from Europe for the shop.

“The fire started so I was checking the rooms upstairs.

“I was in the big room so I checked the small room and the fire came into my face. I tried to put the fire out, but it was too much so I went outside at about 12.30am and called 999. This is my business and it is upsetting me a lot. I’m devastated.

“We are now waiting for the answer to the investigation.”

The 20 metres by 20m commercial building, close to Club Lexis, was formerly home to Prosec Security Services.

Crews remained at the scene dampening down for much of the day, with a structural engineer in attendance and an investigation into the cause of the blaze under way.

It is the third major blaze at commercial premises in Mansfield in a matter of weeks.

The fire follows on from blazes at the Frank Innes estate agency on Market Street and the Savanna Rags factory on Forest Road, both in March.

However, neither the police or NFRS believe there is any link between the three at this stage.

Neither the fires at Frank Innes or Savanna Rags were deemed suspicious and the police said they would only be involved if an NFRS investigation concluded otherwise.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesman said: “The usual course of action for any fire is we will only get involved if and when we learn from them that a fire is suspicious in nature.

“If it is suspicious in nature we will most likely release that through an appeal.”

And an NFRS spokesman said: “Neither the cause of the Frank Innes or Savannah Rags fires were found to be deliberate.”

The fire at Frank Innes was ruled as accidental, caused by an electrical fault.

The cause of the fire at Savanna Rags was ruled inconclusive because of the severe damage the building suffered. But NFRS investigators said it was not deliberate and no police investigation took place.

Following the latest fire at the Clumber Street supermarket, NFRS has sought to reassure to business owners and members of the public.

Sophie Winterbottom, NFRS business education advocate, said “If any business owners or residents have concerns, please contact the team at [email protected]”

“For any concerns in your home, please visit notts-fire.gov.uk/community/make-a-safe-and-well-referral to request a Safe and Well Visit.”