Farm shop and restaurant destroyed in inferno

Firefighters were called to Hinchcliffe's Farm Shop, at Sunnyside Farm, Netherton, just before 10pm on Monday.

Up to100 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze, which also gutted The Old Farmhouse restaurant.

A statement on the farm shop's website yesterday said: "We are devastated to announce that at around 10pm last night a huge fire wiped out the shop, the restaurant, store room and offices.

"Clearly as the site is currently in ruin, trading in the restaurant, farm shop and butchery will be halted until further notice."

The shop is run Charlie Hinchliffe, Susan and Les Hirst and their sons Ben and Simon Hirst.

No-one was avaliable for comment last night.

The farm shop has won a number of awards, including Supreme Pork Pie at the Great Yorkshire Pork Pie competition, held at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, in 2007.

A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said yesterday that the cause of the blaze was not yet known. Investigations are continuing.

Firefighters are thought to have managed to save most of the animals kept on the site.

Fire crews from Huddersfield, Meltham, Holmfirth, Marsden, Brighouse, Marsden, Batley, Morley and Hunslet worked through the night to bring the blaze under control.

Firefighters were called out to the scene shortly before 10pm on Monday.

Six crews were initially called to the scene.