A FIRE at a bakery forced the closure for two days of a Durham family firm's shops across the region.

City-based Peter's Cathedral Bakers' 70 shops were closed on Monday after the despatch area of the company's bakery at Dragonville was gutted on Sunday night.

At one point, five fire engines, including an aerial ladder platform, were called to the plant on the Dragonville Industrial Estate.

The fire did not spread into the baking area but the building was filled with smoke, forcing the firm to abandon production.

About 30 of the plant's 160 staff, working on the night shift, were evacuated safely.

The damage, which includes damage to some box vans, and the cost of lost sales, is expected to run to several tens of thousands of pounds.

Managing director Richard Knowles said: "We are nowhere near burnt to the ground, about 15 per cent of the building has been gutted.

"We closed the shops because there was so much smoke in the premises. We had to bin everything.

"It is the best time of the year for us as well. It could have been a lot worse if it been next week but it is bad enough.

"I'm sure we'll come through it stronger. It has brought us together.

"We had a full staff in on Monday and they have cleaned everything up.

"It has been fantastic.''

The cause of the blaze is being investigated following a forensic examination of the fire scene.

The shops reopened on Wednesday although production was not fully back to normal.