Residents vent fury at Vance

Photo: DARREN ROBINSON

And still the mill smoulders AFTER a hard night tackling the huge blaze, these firefighters take the weight off their feet in the shadow of the former cotton mill, while ensuring their duties are still carried out. The intensity of the blaze on Tuesday night caused mill walls to collapse, while fire crews brought the raging inferno under control. The remains of the building continued to smoulder this morning following on from yesterday when smoke was still visible for much of the afternoon

But kitchen trader vows to bounce back after mill inferno

FURIOUS residents want Vance Miller’s controversial kitchens operation closed after blaming him for the mill inferno which put their homes at risk.

But the self-styled “kitchen gangster” has vowed to rebuild his empire from the ashes and come back bigger and stronger.

He watched in horror on Tuesday as 100 firefighters fought 60ft flames which shot high above his Rock Solid Kitchen firm in Cardwell Street, Hathershaw.

It began around a diesel generator before spreading to wooden pallets and causing gas cylinders to explode, destroying six-storey Maple Mill 2, used for production.

Bizarrely, despite 130 staff and 28 houses being evacuated, Mr Miller (43) and some workers stayed in Maple Mill 1, home to showrooms and telesales staff, overnight to put out fires threatening to raze that too.

They remained holed up there yesterday as fire crews continued to fight the flames. A huge plume of smoke still covered the Oldham skyline.

Meanwhile, 20 angry residents from Dowry Street attended a briefing organised by council and fire officers at Oldham Civic Centre to slam Mr Miller’s business and demand that Maple Mill 1 be pulled down as well.

They claim the fire started as electricity had been cut off at the mill because of unpaid bills and the diesel generator used for power had overheated after not being allowed to cool — an allegation strongly refuted by Mr Miller.

The residents, who did not want to be named, said they had suffered problems for years with pallet fires at the mill, huge lorries catching and damaging the walls of houses and noise into the early hours.

One said: “His work practices led to this. This has been on the cards for years and the council didn’t do anything. Use the powers you have got. Get him out of there and get rid of him.

“Every resident has a problem with him and we are sick to death of it. We will be more than glad to see the back of him. He’s ruined our lives.”

There were concerns over neighbours being given conflicting information over whether to evacuate or stay indoors. One family wasn’t allowed to take essential medication from their house. One woman said: “There was no fire alarm when that fire started. We were told to shut the windows and doors and stay in the house. Then I saw the gas cannister going off and that’s when it was time to get out.”

But householders were quick to praise firefighters for saving their homes and Hathershaw School for housing them overnight — although they had been unable to sleep.

Heat from the fire cracked windows and frames of the closest properties and has left many smelling of smoke.

Mr Miller’s spokeswoman said he had been unable to get insurance for the mill for millions of pounds of machinery and stock. He will consider whether to rebuild or relocate.

She said: “Vance watched his whole life’s work go up in smoke and is devastated. Every member of staff is devastated. We can cry about it or get on and improve it and that’s what we’ll do. As long as there’s Vance and a product, there’s a way forward.”

Oldham Council’s duty senior manager John Eley said those evacuated from 22 properties would be allowed home once demolition work had pulled down the mill and tower.

Never far from the spotlight
VANCE MILLER, of Ramsbottom, became the first UK trader to be handed a “Stop Now” court order to cease supplying sub-standard goods in April, 2002.

He was jailed for five months in 2003 after flouting the ban 13 times and his sentence was reduced on appeal to five weeks.

In 2005, Mr Miller was banned from running a business for the following nine years after he was taken to the High Court by the Insolvency Service. In November, 2006, Maple Mill was raided by more than 130 police and trading standards officers.

Mr Miller and associate Alan Ford have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and are awaiting trial before Manchester Crown Court on September 14.

In 2006, Mr Miller’s houses in Ramsbottom and Calderdale were fire-bombed by arsonists and his BMW car damaged in attacks he blamed on gangsters.

Emergency drill success
COUNCILLOR Mark Alcock, Cabinet member for environment and transportation, said: “The council’s emergency plan was put in place and operated very successfully.

The fire will have a major impact on the area. At one point houses didn’t have any water and the fire service had to use 15in pipes for the first time at this sort of incident. The council closed roads and did everything it could to assist the Fire Brigade and police.” He added that because water was taken from Alexandra Park boating lake to tackle to fire, there is a danger that fish could be lost.

POLICE have reminded the public that cordons placed on several streets around the mill are in place for their own safety as firefighters continue to tackle the blaze.

Inspector Elwyn Jones, of Oldham Police, said: “We want to urge people to avoid the area if at all possible. The fire is not expected to be extinguished for some time so the road closures will remain in place.”