Couple: 'We won't let blaze beat us'

"We're both distraught," said Helen Thomas-Perry, who runs Able Jacks DIY Warehouse on Mill Parade with her partner Andrew Powell.

More than 40 firefighters battled to contain the fire from 2.30am on Sunday morning until around 1pm that afternoon.

The building was judged to be unstable by a structural engineer and was then demolished as a safety precaution. Yesterday firefighters returned to the site at 11am to tackle a minor blaze which broke out as the rubble was cleared.

Ms Thomas-Perry and Mr Powell, who live in Newport, only bought the business last November from Bill Richards and had plans to expand and develop it.

Yesterday the scene of the fire was being looked at by representatives from the company's insurers.

"Hopefully everything will be all right with the insurance, but it is a big worry," said Ms Thomas-Perry.

She said the couple, who have a two-year-old daughter and two children from previous relationships, had sunk their life savings into the business and were determined not to be beaten by the fire.

The DIY warehouse, which is a separate building, remained open on Sunday despite the fire and will remain open as normal to customers.

The building was used to manufacture and store kitchens, and equipment inside was worth about £20,000.

The worth of the destroyed kitchens has not yet being calculated, but it thought to be in the tens of thousands.

The couple had planned to restore the building, which was built as a carpentry workshop for Newport's dry docks around 100 years ago.

They also planned to install heating and met council representatives last week to talk about applying for a grant to help with the work.

Ms Thomas-Perry, 40, said Newport had lost a historically important building. "I loved that building. I grew up in Newport and I used to stand outside there to watch the carnival when I was a little girl," she said.

Able Jacks employs 20 people and Ms Thomas-Perry said she was determined to ensure it remains open.