Exclusive: Minster yard blaze leaves £150,000 damage

Officials have confirmed the sum needed to repair two offices and a joiners' workshop which were ripped apart by the blaze in December.

Last week it was revealed the cause of the fire was a faulty fax machine, which was regularly left on overnight in the main office in the stoneyard.

It had passed its most recent safety inspection last year.

The cost could have been much higher if not for the quick thinking of a member of staff who spotted smoke coming from the building late at night on December 29.

Beneath the seat of the blaze was the bottom half of the Great East Window which was being stored while the stonework surrounding the window was being restored.

The 311 window panes, worth millions, had to be carefully transferred from the fire site by 30 firefighters, police and staff to a nearby school over four hours.

John Morris, Chapter Steward of the Minister, said: "We have received an initial estimate of 150,000. The figure is slightly higher than we first thought, but the work will be carried out by our insurers and there will be no excess to pay."

He added: "We believe it will be more likely to take months, rather than weeks, to repair.

"The two main offices were really badly damaged, as was the joiners workshop."

The irreplaceable glass, which formed the bottom half of the 600-year-old window and is the largest example of medieval glazing in the world, is now in the Minster chapel.

The area will remain closed to the public while the panes are stored there. Mr Morris was unable to say when the repair work would start.