Mill fire probe centres on car

12:37pm Thursday 2nd October 2008

• Play Video

Blaze investigators and detectives are trawling through CCTV to see if a car fire started an inferno that destroyed a Bradford textile mill.

The burned-out silver-coloured car is being examined as a key part of the investigation into the devastating blaze at Jack Walker & Son’s wool fibre premises in Listerhills Road.

detectives and fire investigators have also appealed for information in their quest to establish whether the car was set on fire causing the mill blaze or whether the building fire spread to the car.

A police spokesman said the car had been burning at the same time as the mill.

Bradford Council structural engineers were carrying out work today to make the building safe.

Listerhills Road remained closed in the meantime. Brad-ford firefighters were damping the site down overnight and preparing to assist structural engineers.

Station manager Chris Booth said: “We will be talking to the owners, collating evidence, looking at CCTV and witness statements with the police.”

Phil Walker and his father Jack, who ran the established wool business employing about 20 staff, were too upset to speak about their loss today.

Their friend Omar Majid who co-runs a neighbouring firm Glasstec, said he had spoken to them briefly and they were “devastated”.

“They are nice guys,” he said. “Jack is getting on a bit now, in his 70s I think, but still works in the office and heads things up. They are devastated.”

Mr Majid said there had been pressure from regeneration companies for the mill to be sold but he added: “They weren’t interested. They wanted to keep on going as they were.”

Firms nearby were left without electricity and gas as supplies had to be cut for safety reasons yesterday and owners were counting the cost. Charles Haigh, of Bradford Plant Tool Hire, said: “It’s affected us greatly.

We couldn’t do any deliveries – customers were having to park nearby so we could try and get stuff out to them. This could cost us up to £3,000.”

Also feeling the brunt was windscreen replacement boss Kevin Kelly: “We can’t get any cars in so we won’t be doing any work on vehicles yet.”

Andreas Constantinou said he was stuck in his hair and beauty salon opposite the mill with staff and clients as the drama unfolded. “The heat was intense – we could feel it coming through the windows,” he said.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious around the mill or a silver car on Wednesday night, should call police on 0845 6060606.