Staff at Horsham town centre fish and chip shop hailed for response to flames

A parade of Ferraris visited the town centre on the first day of Piazza Italia but some had to be moved to safety after the chip fryer blaze in Deep Blue fish and chip shop in Colletts Alley, between the Carfax and Middle Street.

It is believed no one was hurt in the fire, which broke out just after 1.30pm.

Kate Blakeley said she was the last person to be served before the fire started.

She explained that she will be ‘forever grateful’ to the staff for their reaction to the incident.

She said: “The staff were absolutely amazing at getting everyone out of the premises in an exceptionally quick time.

“I feel so upset for the staff who had put in such a lot of effort preparing for this special weekend and sincerely hope that things get back to normal for them all as soon as possible.

“I will be forever grateful for their prompt action and professionalism.”

Another customer, Mandy Bradley, explained that she left the restaurant minutes before the events unfolded.

She said: “Four of us had just finished our excellent fish and chip lunch, and left the cafe at around 1.25pm.

“It is very sad for the shop. I hope they are back up and running very soon.”

Piazza Italia event manager Garry Mortimer-Cook thanked his team of volunteers, who set up a cordon while emergency services worked at the scene, for their quick response.

He added none of the cars had been damaged by flames or smoke, and the first day of the popular Italian festival was a success despite the blaze.

He said: “Our first thing was to ensure public safety and then to assess the implications of the incident on the event, and we managed according to that.

“It happened in an area where we could manage it - if it had happened somewhere else we might not have been able to keep the event running.