Loughborough: Men's rehab centre devastated by blaze

The fire started in the kitchen, the charity said

A fire at a men's rehabilitation centre has devastated some of its vital facilities.

The blaze tore through part of the Carpenter's Arms in Loughborough on Saturday, destroying the kitchen, dining area and gym.

Richard Spence, the charity's CEO, said, it was "a chip pan fire that got out of hand," but nobody was injured.

The centre is now fundraising to help replace gym equipment and kitchen items.

The Carpenter's Arms is a 29-bedroom centre that offers a residential rehabilitation programme for men struggling with addiction.

'Horror story'

Johnny Page, a resident of the centre, helped alert others to get out.

He returned to the site on Tuesday, where he saw the full extent of the damage.

"It's like something out of a horror story, to be honest," he said.

"I've never seen anything like it."

Mr Spence, the charity's CEO, said it now had nowhere to cook or a communal dining space for residents

CEO Mr Spence said: "This is devastating on both a business level and personally.

"Watching the clients go through this as well, it has been heartbreaking".

The charity is now fundraising to help rebuild parts of the service it lost, including the gym, which "provides much-needed mental health reprieve" for men on the programme.

Mr Spence said the charity was taking cash donations as well as kitchen items such as fridges, pots and pans, dining chairs and tables and outdoor gym equipment.