A fire so fierce that it melted the visors on firefighters’ helmets, caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to stock in a Coventry Contract Services store during the night.

Firemen saw the fire in Lythalls Lane from their station in Foleshill Road at 10.30 pm and were on the scene before passers-by dialled 999.

They found a small blaze on a mezzanine floor in an industrial unit. Eight fire appliances from the Coventry area attended and the first men into the building found the heat so intense it twisted and distorted their visors.

Station Officer Danny Moynihan said:

"The fire was in an awkward place on a mezzanine floor and we had to force holes in the roof of the building to let out the heat and smoke from burning plastic materials. We had men at the scene for six hours through the night to prevent the fire spreading into an adjacent glazing unit, also owned by the city council."

Contract Services has been the subject of a council internal investigation after losing £7 million in a financial year and an appeal has recently been made for the return of several thousand pounds worth of tools which cannot be accounted for.

Last night’s fire did not cause much damage to the fabric of the building but it damaged electrical stock such as cabling, trunking, switches and power points. The cause is believed to have been accidental.

Station Officer Moynihan said:

"We had to break through four security doors to get into the building."