Groom-to-be's suit burned in Newbury dry cleaners fire

Frantic last minute search for replacement wedding attire ahead of big day

A GROOM-TO-BE will have a frantic last-minute search for new wedding attire after his suit was among those affected by a fire at a Newbury dry cleaners on Monday evening.

Martyn Scott, aged 66, left his suit at Specialist Dry Cleaners, in Cheap Street, last week for cleaning and to have them shortened, ready to wear on his big day this Saturday at Newbury Methodist Church.

However he was shocked when he went along to pick up the garment on Tuesday, to discover the proprietors apparently nowhere to be found, following a fire the night before.

Despite the setback, his bride-to-be, 60-year-old Kathy James, refused to be daunted and told her future husband: “I don’t care if you get married in a pair of pyjamas, it’s you I’m marrying, not the suit.”

Firefighters from two counties were called to the blaze at 8pm on Monday and six fire engines, from Newbury, Lambourn, Hungerford, Kingsclere and Reading, attended.

On arrival firefighters discovered flames in the shop and smoke-logged flats above.

Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the blaze.

The dry cleaners and flats above were empty, however people were evacuated from neighbouring properties and Cheap Street was closed during the incident.

The cause remained under investigation by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), but was not believed to be suspicious.

n Anybody who has suffered a loss as a result of the fire at the dry cleaners should contact the business owner about recovering any loss.

Anyone needing further advice should phone the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on (03454) 04 05 06.