THE boss of ready-meal manufacturer apetito has praised the actions of his staff and firefighters after a blaze broke out at one of its Trowbridge factory buildings on Monday.

Eight fire crews were sent to the scene at 2pm after staff walking past a disused building at the company’s base on Canal Road smelt smoke and raised the alarm.

All 35 members of staff working in the adjacent pastry and packaging factories were evacuated safely to nearby apetito offices, but as a thick pall of acrid black smoke grew over the building, firefighters decided to evacuate the neighbouring Airsprung factory as well as a precaution.

Canal Road was closed for six hours while the firefighting operation was underway and families living near to the industrial estate were urged by the fire service to keep their windows and doors closed.

Paul Freeston, chief executive officer of apetito UK and Canada, immediately left his office nearby to go to the scene.

He said: “I think the Wiltshire fire brigade were wonderful in the way they responded to our emergency. They were absolutely brilliant.

“The chief fire officer described our fire evacuation procedure as first class, which was encouraging.”

Mr Freeston ensured that evacuated staff who had to leave behind their belongings containing car keys and cash were taken home in taxis.

Meanwhile staff at nearby Lidl offered to keep firefighters fuelled with water and food. An investigation is now underway by Wiltshire Fire and Rescue services to determine the cause of the fire.