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Shop owner vows to rebuild after devastating fire

Keiron Tourish
BBC News NI north west reporter
BBC Claudy Cycles owner Brian Cassidy standing beside the charred remains of his bicycle business. He is wearing a black coat and hoodie. Some smoke can be seen in the background. BBC
Claudy Cycles owner Brian Cassidy says a fire has destroyed his business, but he is determined to rebuild

A bicycle shop in Claudy, County Londonderry, has been gutted in a fire and resulted in £500,000 worth of stock being destroyed, the owner has said.

"It's really hard to take, thirty years of your life, but I'm determined to rebuild," Claudy Cycles owner Brian Cassidy told BBC News NI.

The fire on the premises on the Baranailt Road is believed to have been started accidentally, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has said.

At the height of the fire on Thursday, three appliances and a water tanker and crews from both Derry and Dungiven helped tackle the blaze.

A firefighter is full firefighting uniform, holds a hose as water is sprayed acorss a burning building
The scene of the fire in the village of Claudy, County Londonderry, on Thursday morning

Firefighters used two jets and two hose reels to extinguish the blaze and the area was made safe by 12.23 BST, the NIFRS said.

Mr Cassidy said a passing lorry driver spotted the blaze while driving on his way to work and alerted the emergency services.

He said it completely engulfed the premises and has destroyed dozens of bikes, some of them costing more than £4,000 each.

A building that has been blackened by a fire and a roof is hanging off. A number of doors and window frames are left badly damaged. Some white smoke can be seen from the side of the building.
Brian Cassidy sys a passing lorry driver spotted the blaze while driving on his way to work and was the one who alerted the emergency services

Mr Cassidy said has been inundated with messages of support since the fire and thanked everyone for the outpouring of support.

"I've got customers from all over the country - from Belfast, Dundalk, Donegal -everywhere," he said.

"I just want to thank them all for getting in touch.

"I just thank God no one was killed or injured."