ARSONISTS have struck at the heart of a North Yorkshire community.

Four members of a family slept upstairs while a fire was begun at the post office in Shipton-by-Beningbrough.

The post office - the only shop in the village - was forced to close after the blaze, but the determined owners plan to open again on Monday.

The fire was started in a pile of newspapers in the doorway, destroying door panelling and burning through into the shop itself.

"The shop was completely filled with white smoke and we have had to completely restock," said owner and postmaster, Frank Currey.

"But the worst thing is if the smoke alarm hadn't gone off we could have been trapped if the fire had got a good hold.

"You don't know what could have happened."

The blaze followed an accidental fire three years ago which ripped through the building and closed the shop for six months.

The family was sleeping upstairs when the incident occurred at about 3am.

"We all got out safe, the alarms saved us again, but it has affected us, my ten-year-old daughter Victoria more than anyone.

"She's frightened somebody is going to come back.

"We have had two fires, both about 2am or 3am, and now it is taking her a long time to get used to going to bed at night."

The community has also been affected.

"We are the only shop in the village, and are a real meeting point.

"Before we opened about four years ago people from one end of the village might never go to the other, but now we are the hub of the community.

"And there are elderly people who have had real difficulties, many have had to go all the way into town just for their pension.

"But we are opening again at 6.30am on Monday. It's back to business, and providing the community what they need."

Updated: 10:13 Saturday, June 07, 2003