Fears for staff in Gobowen takeaway blaze

A Shropshire takeaway has been gutted in a fire in which it was feared staff could be trapped inside.

Firefighters called to the blaze at the Gobowen Kebab and Pizza House in the centre of the village donned breathing apparatus to search the building and homes adjoining the burning takeaway. But no-one was found in the fire, which broke out in the early hours.

Today fire and police investigators were at the takeaway at Brook Buildings. The fire incident commander said it was too early to say what caused the blaze but said investigators were called out last night and were continuing their work today.

The alarm was raised shortly before 3.30am. A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "We heard the smoke alarm going in the takeaway and when I opened the door smoke was drifting down the street.

"I was really worried because I thought some of the people who work there might be living upstairs above the kebab house." Two fire crews from Oswestry and one from Chirk responded to the 999 call.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service incident commander Aubrey Thomas said that as the first Oswestry crew arrived the ground floor window shattered in the heat and flames came through on to the street.

He said six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the building to search for people inside.

"They made a thorough search of the takeaway, the upstairs living accommodation and the neighbouring property but no-one was inside," he said. "The fire was confined to the shop area but it broke through the ceiling. It is too early to give any indication of how the fire started."

Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 4.50am. The neighbour who raised the alarm said she and her family were told to leave their home as a precaution.