Store vows to battle back

Firecrews battled for five hours to control the fire.

The owners of a store and post office gutted by a huge fire say they are determined to continue their business in the village near York.

Fire crews spent around five hours trying to bring the fire under control at the Costcutter store in Church Street, Dunnington.

Most of the building was destroyed with neighbouring buildings also badly affected.

North Yorkshire Police are investigating the cause of the fire which they believe was started in a rubbish skip at the rear of the store at around 2200 BST on Tuesday.

The owners of the Costcutters store told BBC News Online they were trying to find alternative premises to keep the community supplied with a shop and post office.

Sole village store

Store supervisor Kirsty Hardy, who lives opposite the premises on York Street, alerted the emergency services to the fire which she saw erupt from her home.

She told BBC News Online: "At 9pm I shut up shop and went home. I was watching TV when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an orange light and a big cloud of black smoke above the shop."

She added: "It's the only shop in the village, there's nothing else and all the staff have been relocated."

Angela Barber, the trading and marketing director of Costcutter said: "It is our priority to commence business at our earliest opportunity."