Bin blaze could have burnt down butchers

A family business was minutes away from going up in flames after mindless vandals set fire to wheelie bins.

The incident happened in an alleyway between F. Doncaster Butchers and The Horse and Gears, Portland Street, Newark, at about 3am on Sunday.

Flames 10ft high licked the brickwork, heating a gas pipe running up the side of the butchers, and melting the bins, plastic downpipes and telephone lines.

“There could have easily been an explosion,” said owner Mr Robert Doncaster, the third generation of his family to run the 90-year-old business.

“At the time I thought it was just a wheelie bin fire but in the light of day you can see it was far closer to something more serious.”

The fire started to burn through the cellar doors causing the fridge motors to suck in smoke.

Mr Doncaster said he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face when he arrived after a call from the fire service.

Tenants in the flats above were evacuated as smoke started to reach some of the rooms.

“It’s an old building full of wooden rafters. It would have gone up easily,” he said.

“I don’t know if it was a random act of stupidity or mindless vandalism but those responsible could have ended up killing people.

“I am just disappointed to think that people could do this sort of thing.”

Mr Doncaster said he owed a lot to the landlord of The Horse and Gears, Mr Kevin Rose, who called the fire service after initially putting out the fire with two pub extinguishers.

Mr Rose said: “I just heard some crackling and when I looked out of the window it looked like headlights were shining on the wall.

“I couldn’t even see the fire brigade when they arrived because the smoke was so thick.

“There have been a couple of windows smashed along this stretch and people hanging around in the carparks — but never anything like this.”

A van driver for F. Doncaster Butchers, Mr John Topham, is a former head of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service’s fire investigation team and said the incident was reckless arson.

“It could have ruined the business and put people out of work,” he said.

“It was not just a wheelie bin fire. It was something far more serious.”

The butchers lost a day’s trade but was open as usual Tuesday.