Video: Fire at Co-op in Upchurch
Published: 09:53, 02 May 2019
Updated: 14:42, 02 May 2019
Video shows the aftermath of a devastating fire which gutted a village store.
We reported on Tuesday how a blaze broke out in the Co-op, in The Street, Upchurch, at 10pm on Monday.
A manager had been locking up when he noticed smoke.
Residents had been told the likely cause was an electrical fault and Nick Thompson-Moore, who runs horse supply shop Snaffles, which is opposite Co-op, had heard an electronic cigarette may have been to blame.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service investigators who combed the scene on Tuesday have now confirmed the fire was accidental and had started by the cigarette display cabinet.
The store, which is popular with many villagers and residents from the surrounding area, will likely be closed for some time.
Pictures and video taken of the inside of the shop on Tuesday morning showed the scale of the damage.
The Co-op has been approached for comment.
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Ed McConnell