Two security guards have described how they went into a burning, smoke-filled shop after it caught fire.
Security guards Paul Sutton (left) and Andy Barker
The blaze started in an electrical box at Monsoon in Eld Lane, Colchester, and severely damaged the building.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus put out the fire, which spread from the ground floor to the first floor and into the roof.
But in the minutes before they reached the scene, Paul Sutton and Andy Barker tried to put it out after hearing through their shop radios there was a fire.
They spent about five minutes inside the store, checking no-one was inside, then using CO2 extinguishers to try to put out the flames.
Mr Sutton, 36, who works at Boots, said: "We probably bought a few minutes for the fire service. I didn't feel too bad afterwards, although I had a headache all afternoon.
"You get some people who are impressed you've done something, others say 'you should have left it for someone else to deal with'."
Monsoon manager Annaline Frost praised the pair for their efforts, saying: "They were fantastic, absolutely brilliant."
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Tuesday, November 16, 2004
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