Owners 'heartbroken' as restaurant gutted by fire
The owners of a Chinese restaurant gutted by a fire say they have been left "in shock and absolutely heartbroken".
Furama Palace in Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, suffered severe damage after the blaze broke out in the building's roof at about 03:45 BST on Monday.
The roof was completely destroyed in the incident and two people were treated for minor injuries before being taken to hospital.
The blaze was since found to have been caused accidentally, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
A post on the Furama Palace Facebook page on Tuesday thanked people for their "kind support and well wishes".
"We are still in shock and absolutely heartbroken to see all the hard work we have done over the past few years destroyed like that yesterday," it said.
"It has been such a pleasure to get to know all of you over the years; [we have] made some great friends and shared some great times."
'Devastated'
People continued to offer their support in response to the post, with many saying they had been to the restaurant multiple times over the years.
One commenter said: "I can't imagine the heart and soul that you have put into your business; it's not about losing just bricks and mortar.
"Whatever you decide to do next, I'm sure you will get the support you deserve."
Another said they were "devastated" and had been looking forward to celebrating a family member's graduation the next day.
"Our hearts go out to you now and we pray you can rebuild and reopen one day," they added.
Residents living nearby reported seeing smoke and flames on the roof of the restaurant in the early hours of Monday.
Hayley Lovett told BBC Radio Stoke: "It was quite scary. It was near the end of our garden as well, so the chances of it catching fire were quite worrying.”
"Our house was very full of smoke."
She said her family were regulars at the restaurant, having first gone there about 10 years ago.
"The sad thing is that it's somebody's business... it's not nice for them," she added.
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