INFERNO: Firefighters use a turntable ladder as they tackle the blaze at Clifton Green, York, early today Picture: Steven Bradshaw

A couple living above a York store which was gutted by fire early this morning were today starting to pick up the pieces.

David and Judith Corbishley, who have been the sole tenants above the Spar shop at Clifton Green for nine years, were facing another night away from home after picking over their smoke-damaged flat this morning.

Mr Corbishley said: "I was out and my wife called me up from home at about midnight to say she had smelled smoke and called the fire brigade.

"I arrived just as the fire brigade did and the fire didn't look like much, but then it seemed to take a hold.

"We are just trying to clean up some of our possessions, but some things will have to be thrown out."

Fire investigators and police scenes-of-crime officers were sifting through debris at the scene in an effort to establish the cause of the fire.

The Spar store is one of 180 owned by Tates Ltd.

Retail operations' director Geoff Hallam, said: "We are most concerned about the fire. Nobody was injured which is obviously a good thing."

He said: "We will be working with both fire and police officials to find out what caused it and we will be trying to get open and back in business as soon as possible."

see also 'Shop inferno'

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.