UPDATE: Sleaford chip shop fire was started by electrical fault

Fire investigators spent all day yesterday (Tuesday) at the Scoffers takeaway and restaurant on Lincoln Road after the fire which started just before midnight.

A Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman has told The Standard: “The cause has been established to be an electrical fault with the main circuitry.”

The fire was discovered just before midnight on Monday night by two occupants of a flat at the opposite end of a two-storey building occupied by Scoffers fish and chip shop on Lincoln Road.

It is estimated by the fire service that about 80 per cent of the building has been badly wrecked by the blaze, which saw six fire engines on the scene from Sleaford, Billingborough, Billinghay, Brant Broughton and Metheringham as well as the aerial ladder platform from Lincoln.

The remainder of the building suffered water and smoke damage, said a fire service spokesman.

The roof has been damaged in the blaze too as firefighters tackled the flames from above as well in the roof space.

The restaurant and takeaway are sited downstairs, with the upstairs used for storage.

A spokesman for the company which owns the property said the two men staying in the flat had been working at the chip shop until late. Leon Faria, the manager, and Bruno Ribeiro were having some dinner back at their flat when Mr Faria went to get some water.

The spokesman said: “At first when he came outside he thought it was fog and then saw it was smoke and fire coming from the first floor and realised something had happened and called the fire brigade.”

He went on: “It has done a lot of damage - it is extensive. But we want to get back to business as soon as possible.

“Everyone got out safely and no-one was hurt.”

The firefighters brought the blaze under control and had left the scene by 3.17am, having used two hose reels, two main jets and wearing breathing apparatus. The cause was said to be under investigation.