DEVASTATED: Owners of historic Bradford mill left distraught as it is destroyed by fire

The site is owned by family-run, Huddersfield-based SKA Textiles, through Pervaiz brothers Zeb, 39, and Saj, 37, and their 61-year-old father, Khalid.

Zeb Pervaiz said: "I am gutted. You cannot replace it. Forget about the money, it is the history of it.

"We had to hold the old man up yesterday, he was so disheartened. It is part of Bradford's history."

He said the family has owned it for 16 years.

"We were spending money on it. It was not just something we bought and left.

"We have tenants, a caretaker through the day, and security. We had ambitions for it."

Khalid Pervaiz said: "I am really gutted. We were really passionate about the site and looked after it, so this comes as a big blow to me."

Yaseen Mohammed, who manages the site, said there was fewer than half a dozen tenants using the site and some community and arts groups.

He said a coach house building appeared to have escaped damage, but added: "The rest of the site seems to be decimated.

"We are gutted for Bradford as its history is all to do with mill buildings. We are just really disappointed."

On the next step, he added: "It is a wait and see situation. The council building inspector and fire service have to lead on the safety side."

Mr Mohammed said he wanted to see Lumb Lane reopen as quickly as possible.

"We need to focus on getting Lumb Lane open and make sure that nothing else falls from the building."

Among the businesses counting the cost is the World Curry Festival which lost its offices.

Zulfi Karim, founder of the World Curry Festival, said: "I am devastated at the news of the fire and the situation is made more difficult by the fact that I am currently here in Malaysia, unable to support the Mill owners and local community at this difficult time, though I am glad to hear that there were no injuries as a result of the fire.

"Despite the terrible news, we would like to stress that the Festival will be back this year bigger and better than ever before.

"With the hard work and determination of the Festival team, we hope to deliver another spectacular Festival and not let the loss of the mill impact on what we anticipate will be a fantastic event."

Five years of community artwork, including giant puppets and lanterns, were stored at Drummond Mill, belonging to Cecil Green Arts.

The organisation specialises in large works of art for community parades, but has lost all its work including tools and materials valued at an estimated £12,000.

Harry Kingham, a lead artist for CGA, said: "It is good that no-one seems to have been hurt in the fire but I feel sick thinking of the countless hours and community goodwill that have gone into the art that was stored in the mill.

"You can't put a price on art, but for us those puppets and creations are invaluable. They literally are characters that have personalities and stories of their own."

CGA started working in Canterbury, Bradford, in 2011 working with the local community and organisations to create an annual street parade, The Canterbury Carnival.

In 2013 working in partnership in Manningham they started an annual light parade through Manningham park, 'Listers Lanterns', including giant moving lanterns and a copy of Sophie Ryder's sculpture 'The Hare' which until recently stood outside Cartwright Hall.

In 2015 CGA created 'Jack be Little' a piece of puppet street theatre for the Bradford Festival including a giant 'Green Man' head and tricycle propelled Vulture.

Katie Jones, a lead artist for CGA, said: "It is a tragedy that all these pieces of Bradford street art have gone up in flames. We have lost not only our livelihoods but our creative home."

Two photographers at Northern Lights Studio told how they were doing a photoshoot in part of the mill when the fire alarm went off.

They were on the third storey at the opposite end to where the fire started, but said the part of the building where they were was clogged with smoke about two minutes after the alarm sounded.

One of the men said: "We grabbed a computer that had pictures on it from the shoot and then got out. Within three or four minutes of the alarm, we were out."

The duo said the room where their equipment - including cameras, lenses, stands and dropboxes - was, was engulfed by the fire.

"We aren't sure what the cost will be yet," one said.

The pair were also waiting to get access to cars they had to leave on the site.

"We don't know if they have been damaged," they said. "We have heard that the fire didn't get to them but that some cars in there had to have windows smashed so the firefighters could move them."

Demolition contractor Thomas Crompton said it was not yet clear when Lumb Lane would reopen as the demolition, which began last night, was a difficult and dangerous job.

He said it was likely that the road would open on Monday, depending how the work progressed. Crews are focusing on removing mill walls next to Lumb Lane so businesses could reopen as quickly as possible, he said.

Mr Crompton described the demolition as difficult and potentially dangerous due to high winds and smoke.

"It's a delicate job. We will have to do it a bit at a time.

"The main priority is getting Lumb Lane open as the Sweet Centre and quite a few other businesses are there.

"We will use specialist equipment to dismantle it section by section."

Reopening the road today was a 'best case scenario', although he said this was unlikely to happen.

It was more likely to be Monday, he said.

Mr Crompton said it was not a pleasant job to demolish what was once a fine piece of Victorian architecture.

"It's a sad day. It was a functional and working building. I don't get any pleasure pulling these buildings down."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.