News

The police investigation into the fatal fire at the Wealmoor Atherstone fruit and vegetable processing and packaging warehouse in Warwickshire could take several months.

At a press conference yesterday (28 November), Warwickshire Police said their aim was to retrieve all potential evidence to assist in the investigation into how the 2 November fire, which killed four firefighters, developed and spread.

Police initially thought they had 160 warehouse staff to interview, but this has increased to almost 400. They have conducted around 100 interviews so far.

Some interviews required translators because workers spoke 11 languages, including Polish, Lithuanian and Slovak.

Detective superintendent Ken Lawrence said initial reports that migrant workers had been sleeping in the warehouse on the night of the fire were untrue, although it might have happened on previous occasions. Wealmoor said no workers had ever slept at the factory.

Around 20 officers were involved in the forensic deconstruction of the site and associated search, which would take until at least the end of January and "perhaps longer".

Chief superintendent Paul Mason-Brown said it would be several months before police would be able to form a full picture of events, but they were determined to progress as quickly and as professionally as possible.

"The full cost of the operation and police investigation is not known at this time. The costs identified to date are estimated to be approaching £2m," he added.

Following the fire, Wealmoor relocated the packaging of spring onions, green beans and peas from Atherstone to its Hayes or Greenford sites, or to competitors.

Supermarkets supplied by Wealmoor, including Asda and Sainsbury's, said that after a "few teething problems", deliveries had not been affected.

Wealmoor employed 211 people at the Atherstone-on-Stour warehouse and all 57 workers on the premises on the night of the fire were evacuated safely.