Emergency services were called to Bonmarche on the pedestrianised section of London Road in Bognor Regis on Friday 5 December, after reports of a fire inside the store shortly after 8.10pm. The incident triggered a significant response, drawing multiple fire crews and police units to the town centre.
Joint Fire Control said the alarm was first raised at 20.06, with three fire engines initially mobilised to the scene. When firefighters arrived, they were met with a well-developed fire. As the situation escalated, a further three engines and an aerial ladder platform were deployed. Crews worked quickly to contain the flames and prevent the blaze from spreading to adjoining businesses including Superdrug, in what is a busy retail area.
The operation continued late into the night. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hose reel jets as they moved through the property, checking each section to bring the blaze under control. At around 01.00, fire crews began to leave the scene, though Sussex Police remained in place to maintain cordons and support public safety.
When the story first broke, multiple witnesses told V2 Radio that the fire was in a retail unit at Superdrug. Police later confirmed it was in Bonmarche, and they battled the fire to prevent it from spreading to Superdrug.
Video footage of the scene on Friday night, sent in by V2 Radio listener,
Temporary road closures were enforced along London Road and Bedford Street while emergency crews tackled the fire, but both routes were reopened once the area was declared safe.
Police have confirmed that no injuries had been reported and no arrests had been made. Officers said the fire was being treated as suspicious, and an investigation had been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. They urged anyone who witnessed the fire, or who may have relevant CCTV or mobile footage, to come forward. Information can be reported online or by calling 101, quoting serial 1322 of 05/12.
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