Residents react as PM Racing Team in Shildon ravaged by fire

Firefighters cordoned off Church Street in Shildon, County Durham after the PM Racing Team motorbike shop went up in flames at about 10am.

Among those watching on in horror as flames tore through the shop, bringing down its roof, were the shop’s owner and workers evacuated from nearby stores.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Kelly Nelson, 45, who works at sunbed shop Tanned Up, said: “I was just working and I saw the fire engines come past – then I saw people coming out to watch what was happening.

“The smoke was just bellowing out.

“Then within 20 minutes it just went bang, a huge blaze. I heard a popping noise. It was horrendous.

“The poor owner was standing here outside the shop and I told him I was so sorry for what had happened. It’s heartbreaking.

Firefighters working at the scene. (Image: The Northern Echo)

“He told me, ‘I’ve been here 22 years and it’s just gone like that’.

“I had to walk away at that point because I was sobbing, crying my eyes out.

“He’s not been injured – but this is just absolutely devastating. There are no words that could ever amount to this. He’s very well known around here. I have had people from other businesses in here who were told to leave. The community is really looking out for each other.”

Another shop worker, who did not want to be named, said: “I saw the fire engine and wondered where it was going.

“Then the second one came and that’s when they started dealing with the fire.”

A cordon was lifted shortly after 1.30pm and the road reopened but the PM Racing Team premises remained taped off.

Bikes being taken from the shop after the fire. (Image: The Northern Echo)

Pictures show the charred interior of the shop with its roof collapsed in, while eyewitnesses reported a strong stench of smoke in the area.

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The owner was seen re-entering a short time later salvaging what bikes he could from inside.

A spokesperson for the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 10.12am today we received a report of a fire within a shop on Church Street in Shildon.

“We immediately deployed firefighters to the area, with a total of five fire engines and one arial ladder platform in attendance.”

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24852942.residents-react-pm-racing-team-shildon-ravaged-fire/?ref=rss