The owner of a Leicester aquatic store has praised the fire brigade for its quick response after a blaze in a neighbour's garden spread to his shop.
Firefighters were called to the scene after local residents reported two conifers ablaze in the back garden of the house next to Clearwater Aquatics on Sunday, shortly after the shop opened for business. The fire quickly spread to the exterior of the shop, and flames are reported to have reached a height of 50ft.
Yoosaf Abdulla, who has run the store on Green Lane Road for 20 years, feared for his marine room (pictured above), which is situated at the rear of the shop and houses hundreds of fish and corals.
Fortunately the blaze was brought under control, resulting in only minimal fire and smoke damage to the inside of the shop.
Mr Abdulla told the Leicester Mercury: "I really can’t thank the fire brigade enough, this could have been a right mess. This is my livelihood so of course I was scared — I thought I would lose everything for one moment.
"But the fire service were here so quickly they managed to save my business."
The marine room is now open as normal.