Peterborough firm gutted by fire will come back '˜bigger and better'

Anglia Laundry Services in Cobden Street, Millfield, went up in flames in the early hours of Wednesday last week with all of its stock destroyed or damaged.

The firm specialising in commercial laundry and linen hire has been operating in Peterborough for almost 30 years, catering for more than 200 clients including restaurants, hotels and hospitals, but it has had to redirect customers to rival companies as it looks to get back on its feet.

Director Shahzad Hamid said: “The effects of the fire have been detrimental, not only to us but also our customers.

“We spent the 48 hours (after the fire) trying to accommodate for all our customers’ needs and arranging alternative solutions. This is proving to be a real challenge as all our stock has also been destroyed or damaged during the fire.

“We are having to redirect a lot of customers to alternative laundries located in the area in the interim. We employ approximately 40 members of staff; this fire has left them without work and uncertain as to what happens next until we get back up on our feet.”

It took 10 fire crews several hours to tackle the blaze which is believed to have completely destroyed the building and all of its contents in around 30 minutes. There were no injuries and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

Mr Hamid, who lives in Park ward, paid tribute to the firefighters who tackled the flames.

He added: “I’d like to thank the local fire departments who acted as quickly as possible to make the site and neighbouring properties safe. The fire has obviously caused hindrance to my staff, clients and suppliers, however, we will do our utmost to ensure service schedules are still adhered to.

“I ask for all to be patient with us during these testing times. I am truly grateful for the outpouring of help, support from family, friends and the wider community.

“A special thanks to all our customers, it’s been a great pleasure to serve you over a number of years, I hope we can continue our relationships in the near future because I can promise we will be back, bigger and better.”