A FURNITURE store has re-opened less than a month after a blaze tore through its warehouse and showroom.

It is believed that the fire on June 8, which destroyed some of the buildings at the Spring Garden Mill Shopping Outlet in Plumbe Street, Burnley, caused around £1million worth of damage.

But the outlet, which houses the RDA Variety store, is now open again and bosses have been surprised by the support they have received.

Rob Hutchinson, who employs ten people at the mill site which has been trading for 16 years, said: “We started trading again around two weeks ago.

"It has been hard work but we are getting there.

“All our suppliers have been very supportive and the customers have been brilliant.

"Footfall is up and people have supported us.”

Mr Hutchinson said the warehouse and showroom were destroyed in the blaze, which had dramatically reduced the amount of stock they can hold.

He said: “We’re having more deliveries from suppliers because we can’t store any stock at the moment, but they understand the problem and have been good with us.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue said yesterday that investigations into the blaze were still ongoing.

But Mr Hutchinson said he had been left in little doubt that it was an arson attack.

“They seem pretty convinced it’s arson,” he said.

“But the investigations are still ongoing and I haven’t heard any final word yet.

“We’re now waiting for the insurance company to come back to us.

“When they have done we will press ahead with plans to re-build the warehouse and showroom.”