Asos warehouse hit by suspected arson attack

A probe was launched after a blaze ripped through Asos’s distribution centre in Goldthorpe, Barnsley, on Friday night.

About 500 members of staff escaped unharmed after the building was evacuated. It took 10 fire engines and 60 firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze.

Yesterday South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they believed the blaze was deliberate. Investigating officers are set to continue work at the site today in the bid to get to the bottom of what happened.

Fire investigation officer Simon Rodgers said: “The fire involved four floors of the warehouse and the blaze was contained in the area of origin by firefighters. Asos had a good evacuation process in place which assisted the emergency services and allowed it to be brought under control more quickly.”

Meanwhile, thousands of customers have been left disappointed over the site’s failure to deliver goods. Hundreds of panic-stricken shoppers bombarded its official Facebook page demanding to know if their orders had been affected.

The company’s website was inactive over the weekend, with a holding message which read: 
“We have pressed pause on 
the Asos website, this is due to a fire in our Barnsley distribution centre in the early hours of Saturday.

“Thankfully no one was hurt.”

A spokesman for Asos told The Yorkshire Post customers 
could expect an announcement today.

Responding to Facebook comments, Barnsley locals expressed their relief no one was harmed as a result of the incident.

Andrea Freeman wrote: “My son works there and I am just grateful him and others are unhurt. Also this could have a devastating effect on a lot of local families.”