Chief of fire-hit Stourport factory vows firm's quick return

More than 70 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at Pelican Foods, on Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, as 60 tons of waste cooking oil and 500 tons of Kerosene went up in flames.

Firm boss Keith Coldrick today said they were still picking up the pieces following the fire at the cooking oil recycling factory on Monday night. But he vowed that the business, based in Barracks Road, would be back on its feet as soon as possible.

"I received a call at around 10.45pm to say the factory was on fire. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was a total shock," he said."The fire was a very serious one, and it has totally gutted the building. The past couple of days have involved meeting with insurers so we can get up and running again. We will get the company back on its feet. We want to be back in business."

Mr Coldrick, who also owns 20 per cent of the firm, which has been running for two-and-half years, said its 10 members of staff had been helping out where they could.

"They have been calling our customers to tell them what has happened," he said.

The firm supplies cooking oil to the catering industry but the main part of its business is refining waste cooking oil so it can be used in bio-diesel fuels. Mr Coldrick, aged 61, said: "What has happened is absolutely devastating to us all. But I do want to say that the Environment Agency, police and especially the fire service were absolutely brilliant," he added.