A FAMILY have been left devastated after their business was destroyed by a huge fire in the middle of the night.

Around 100 firefighters fought the fierce blaze which ripped through David Aldridge Animations at the Hybris Business Park in Crossways early on Saturday.

No one was hurt but the fire gutted the building, leaving the structure unsafe.

The firm’s entire stock – displays destined for the Christmas market – was destroyed.

Firefighters who entered the building to tackle the flames were forced to flee when they discovered a potentially explosive acetylene gas cylinder.

A 100-metre cordon was set up around the business park, off Warmwell Road, and crews climbed aerial ladders with their hoses.

Business owners were prevented from entering the site throughout Saturday as firefighters stayed on scene cooling the cylinder.

Teams returned yesterday to reinspect the building.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said due to the ferocity of the blaze it was difficult to discover the cause but it is believed to be accidental.

Mr Aldridge went out to the premises when the fire set off a burglar alarm linked to the family home near Broadmayne.

His wife, Fran Aldridge, said: “He’s tired and shattered.

“It’s been his business for even longer than 28 years so it’s a life’s work gone up in smoke basically.”

Firefighters were called to the business park just after 2am on Saturday.

They relayed water to the area and then pumped water from a main on Warmwell Road throughout the night and into the next morning.

Mrs Aldridge added: “It’s awful watching your livelihood burn.

“It’s 4,000 square feet and practically all gutted.”

West Dorset District Council inspectors arrived to assess the structural damage with smoke still escaping through the roof at midday on Saturday.

Mr Aldridge’s company manufactures and supplies animated display figures that are most commonly used for displays in shops and garden centres.

Mrs Aldridge, their son Tris and four other staff are also based there. Nobody was believed to have been at the premises at the time of the fire.

Mrs Aldridge added: “You don’t think this is going to happen. We will wait and see what the insurance people say but the trouble is we are stuck in limbo.

“We were just getting busy because Christmas is what we do and all our stock has gone.

“We will have conversations with several large clients this week.

“It’s a disaster.”

Mrs Aldridge said the burglar alarm had been going off ‘for a past-time’ as it triggers when the building cools down and contracts in the night.

She added: “I’ve no idea what started it. It’s weird because everybody checks their stuff and switches everything off. I don’t understand.”

A fire spokesman said crews attacked the fire from four sides of the building and used aerial ladder platforms after finding the gas cylinder.

She said residents were warned to keep their windows closed as a high plume of smoke came from the blaze.

Incident commander and area manager Keith Bacon, said: “Acetylene is dangerous and for the safety of our staff we stoppedfirefighting from within the building.”