A hairdresser has pledged to rebuild her fledgling business out of the ashes of a fierce fire.

Samantha Prendergast is determined to have her badly-damaged salon – launched only three months ago – up and running again in the New Year.

Fire ripped through part of the Pure beauty salon, in Market Street, Keighley, in the early hours of yesterday.

As she surveyed the damage, she said: “We’re not going down without a fight.

“Our worry is that we will now lose the customers we have attracted. We hope they will stick with us through this devastating time.”

The shop was on the verge of setting up a ‘bridal and proms’ section on the first floor but luckily the dresses had not yet arrived.

“The damage to the salon is mostly from the smoke, so we are hoping that shouldn’t be too difficult to repair,” she said.

The blaze in the former Market Tavern pub, parts of which were still being renovated, was discovered shortly after 4am yesterday.

It is owned by product designer Mick Karol, of Keighley, who had financed the restoration of the former pub over the last 12 months.

He understood from the fire service that it was caused by a smouldering spark on a beam and was started accidentally.

“With help from Bradford Council we’ve brought a derelict building back to life and, just when it was all coming together with the salon, this happens,” he said.

“I’m gutted and desperately sorry for Samantha, especially happening at this busy time of year.”

Mark Collingwood, Keighley fire service watch commander, said on arrival the crews saw smoke billowing from the building.

“We forced entry and discovered a fire on the ground floor at the back of the premises,” he said.

“It was just starting to spread from the toilet area but fortunately we caught it early and managed to bring it under control quite quickly.”

A special high-pressure ventilation fan was brought in to help clear smoke from the building.

The cause of the fire was under investigation but was not being treated as suspicious, he said.