A MINEHEAD retailer has been left counting the cost of a fire which gutted his shop and destroyed all his stock.

Tim Ahearne has run T-shirt printing business Novel T's in the town for the past 11 years - the last six based at premises in The Avenue.

But the 52-year-old businessman from Carhampton arrived to open up for work last Friday to discover a fire had been smouldering overnight at the back of the shop.

"I opened the door to find a wall of black smoke," said Tim.

"The fire had started in the back room where I keep most of the stock and do the printing.

"It had burned itself out but it has destroyed everything.

"The heat at the time must have been incredible and so intense because things in the shop itself have melted yet are not burnt.

"The back room has both fire and smoke damage and in the shop itself everything is smoke damaged."

Tim himself had to be treated for smoke inhalation, which he suffered just from opening the front door and stepping inside.

Firefighters from Williton and Minehead arrived at the scene just after 8.30am and used breathing apparatus and water jets to bring the incident under control.

And Tim is full of praise for their actions, for the care shown him by paramedics who treated him and the support of a neighbour from Carhampton, Faye Symes, who happened to be driving down The Avenue just after he had discovered the devastation.

"I just want to thank everyone who has helped," he said.

"The firefighters were brilliant and took control and looked after me.

"I was in total shock and I can't really remember anything about last Friday morning.

"Faye just happened to be passing and could see the state I was in so she stopped her car and came to help me.

"The shop is a complete write-off - I've lost everything and I want to apologise to any customers who had been due to pick up orders.

"I can't put a figure on the damage yet but I'm determined to reopen and I want everyone to know that I will be up and running as soon as possible."

The cause of the fire is being investigated but it is believed to be accidental.