A Pets at Home store was seriously damaged in a major blaze which broke out at a retail park in Northampton.

The huge fire ripped through a Dunelm building on Saturday and later spread to Pets at Home next door on the Nene Valley Retail Park.

Other connected buildings were also damaged by smoke as 11 fire crews and appliances fought the blaze.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Phil Pells said: “We do not underestimate the impact this incident has had on these businesses and the people who work there, as well as the local community.

“I want to thank Fire Control, our firefighters, crews from Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire who assisted us, and our colleagues in police for their hard work over the weekend in what was a large-scale response to this fire.

“We would ask people to continue to stay away from the scene so that our Fire Investigation officers can continue their work.

“I also want to thank those affected, the local businesses and residents of St James, for their continued patience over the last three days. Our Protection Team will be visiting local businesses in the area to offer support and advice regarding fire safety in their premises.”

A spokesperson for Pets at Home told the Northampton Chronicle: "We'd like to thank the emergency services and our colleagues at Nene Valley Retail Park who responded to fire spreading rapidly from the neighbouring Dunelm store, and took swift action to move customers and pets to safety.

"We are supporting our team through this difficult time and thank customers and clients for their support and understanding. We will also continue to help the Police with their ongoing investigation."

A number of teenage boys have been questioned in connection with the fire. Witnesses or anyone with information regarding this incident should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.