A BUSINESS devastated by fire has risen from the ashes despite losing half a million pounds worth of stock.

World of Fashion sells furniture and lighting for bedrooms, dining rooms and kitchens, as well as clothes.

It has a showroom in Bradshawgate, but kept all its furniture stock across the road in a building in Bridgeman Place that was gutted by fire last month.

The company lost its storage building and £500,000 worth of stock in the blaze.

But Asad Shamim, owner of World of Fashion, worked fast to find a new storage building the next day.

Mr Shamim, from Rochdale, said: “We lost everything, all our stock was in the basement of the building, plus deliveries ready to go out. It put real financial pressure on the business, but we had to get up and running again straight away, otherwise we would have been in trouble."

The new storage premises, which were empty at the time of the fire, are in Salop Street and are owned by Charles Topham Group.

John Jarvis, sales and marketing director for Charles Topham, said: “We’ve received a number of inquiries from businesses that have lost their premises in the fire and as a local company ourselves we want to do everything we can to help those firms get back on their feet and trading again.”

The fire, on July 24, destroyed the three-storey building, causing an estimated £1 million worth of damage. Police have launched an arson inquiry.

For more on this story see Monday's edition of The Bolton News.