Hartlepool trader 'devastated' as fish business burns down

Daniel Blackwood has been left devastated

A man has been left "devastated" after a fire destroyed his seafood business four months after it opened.

Daniel Blackwood arrived to find The Sea Shack in Hartlepool smouldering after the blaze which began just before midnight on Friday.

The 35-year-old father of one said he had spent his life savings setting up the business but vowed it would be back "bigger and better".

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

Mr Blackwood, from Hartlepool, was with his partner Rebecca when they received the call about the fire.

"I thought I was asleep and had a giggle thinking 'This is not real, it's not happening' but my partner broke down crying," he said.

The bespoke trailer has been burnt out

More than £60,000 had been spent on opening The Sea Shack which was fitted out with fridges, freezers, cooking equipment and stock, he said.

The former offshore worker added: "I'm absolutely gutted, people don't realise how much there was inside of it or how much went into it. It's all gone."

"We opened in November, it had been a massive passion for myself for years. I wanted to do restaurant-quality food from a takeaway, but that has been stopped for now."

He does not yet know whether the damage will be covered by their insurance company.

More than £60,000 has been spent setting up the business

An online fundraiser has since been set up to help Mr Blackwood with some of the costs, which he anticipates could exceed £30,000.

He said he needed to repair the steel structure and replace equipment, worktops and stock.

"It's all up and down, yesterday I was very positive and seeing it today and looking the same, I'm very flat", he said.

"We've had really kind words, we're just hoping it gets known to people to hopefully help or donate. Anything is massively appreciated."

Cleveland Fire Brigade said it took about an hour to extinguish the fire and an investigation into the cause was "ongoing".