Blaze hits boatyard
A blaze which ripped through a boatyard at Stourport today destroyed cruisers and equipment worth thousands of pounds.
One firefighter was taken to hospital after twisting his ankle in a pot hole in the road while tackling the blaze.
Fire crews were called to the Clearview Enterprises Boatyard in Redstone Wharf on Sandy Lane Industrial Estate on the banks of the river Severn around 5.30am.
Fire erupted between two boats and five articulated trailers packed with engineering equipment, tools and boating materials. One of the trailers had been turned into a mobile office. Four cars including a Land Rover 4x4 vehicle were also destroyed in the blaze.
Roy and Belinda Robins have owned the yard since 1984. The couple run a DIY boat yard where boat owners can bring in their vessels and rent space to have them repaired.
The boats which perished were around 25 feet long and under renovation.
Mr and Mrs Robins live on a converted steam cruiser moored alongside the wharf on the river Severn, just a few yards from the blaze.
Mrs Robins, aged 56, was woken by the milkman who said the yard was on fire.
Mrs Robins said: "All I could see was a thick plume of black smoke pouring from the yard. The fire caused thousands of pounds of damage and none of it is insured. We just can't get insurance for a place like this.
"We don't know how it started and an investigation is under way. Now we've lost the lot and two people have lost their boats. It's a real blow for us."
Droitwich fire station manager Keith Chance said it was too early to establish a cause for the blaze.
CID officers were on the scene sifting through the wreckage for clues along with fire investigation officers.
