Fire ripped through a business premises in Harpur Street, Bedford, on Tuesday, causing part of the roof to collapse.

The blaze completely destroyed the Life Focus Centre on the ground floor of the three-storey building.

The first and second storeys of the premises, where the Kimbolton Dental Clinic has its laboratory, suffered severe smoke damage.

Fire crews from Bedford, Kempston and Toddington were called to the inferno at 6.23am on Tuesday, March 25.

Fabio Cientanni, who works at the Kimbolton Dental Clinic, said: "When I came into work this morning it was quite a shock to find the building surrounded by fire crews and the building burnt.

"The fire was mainly on the ground floor by the looks of it and I do not think there was anyone inside.

"Our clinic is smoke damaged and I don't know when we will get back inside."

Six firefighters with breathing apparatus and an aerial platform were needed to tackle the flames.

The fire was put out at 7.23am. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.
Fire officers initially do not believe the cause to be suspicious and think it was probably started by an electrical fault, but a full investigation is under way.