PICTURES: Entire row of shops fenced off indefinitely – three boarded up – after huge fire at Northampton retail park

Chronicle & Echo went down to Nene Valley Retail Park this morning (Friday June 6) to see what remains after firefighters left the scene yesterday (Thursday June 5), following one of Northampton’s biggest fires in recent memory.

Businesses on Dunelm’s row, including Pets at Home, NCF Furniture, Dreams, B&M, and Tapi, all remain closed and fenced off.

Dunelm and Pets at Home, which appear to be the most heavily destroyed, are both boarded up.

NCF Furniture is fenced off but not boarded. A spokeswoman for the company said today they are still waiting on an update.

Dreams and Tapi are also fenced off but not boarded. A Dreams spokesperson said: "Our colleagues responded swiftly to the incident and thankfully everyone was evacuated safely. Our store remains temporarily closed. Customers can visit their next closest stores at Wellingborough and Kettering or come to us online at dreams.co.uk"

B&M, which sits between Dreams and Tapi, is boarded up. The company has been contacted for comment.

Firefighters left the site yesterday morning, after five days tackling the blaze. The fire broke out at around 3pm on Saturday (May 31) and quickly spread from Dunelm to neighbouring units.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) had maintained a presence at the site since the initial 999 call. They confirmed yesterday that the scene is now at a safe temperature, with no further hotspots.

A fire service spokesman said: “NFRS is in the process of handing back responsibility for the scene of the fire at Nene Valley Retail Park to the site owners.

“The fire service has had a presence at the retail park in St James since the fire first started on Saturday afternoon (May 31).

“An investigation into the cause of the fire is being conducted with Northamptonshire Police and remains ongoing.”

Four teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire. A 13-year-old boy has been released with no further action. Two 14-year-olds and a 15-year-old have been released on bail, pending further enquiries.

The new American owners, who reportedly only bought the site a couple of weeks ago for around £30 million, have also been contacted for comment.