Temporary Folkestone Morrisons to be built by Christmas

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Media captionThe supermarket was evacuated and there are no reports of injuries

A temporary supermarket is to be built ahead of Christmas after a fire destroyed a large Morrisons store.

More than 50 firefighters were called out to the Folkestone store on 8 November, to tackle the blaze caused by a deep fat fryer in the cafe.

A spokesman said the firm would be building a 10,000 sq ft temporary store "well before" Christmas, so people can still shop for their festive products.

Nobody was injured in the blaze.

Image caption The roof was completely destroyed

The appearance of the temporary structure has not been confirmed, but the supermarket chain said it would have fridges, freezers, signage, checkouts and "everything that customers would expect from a supermarket".

The spokesman said the firm was working closely with Folkestone and Hythe District Council and would be seeking planning permission.

Morrisons will be talking to customers and the council about plans to rebuild the permanent store, "in time", he said.

Image copyright Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Image caption About three-quarters of the building has been affected by the blaze, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said

Andrew Newton, Morrisons property director, said: "We'd like to thank customers and colleagues for their support.

"We'd also like to thank Folkestone and Hythe District Council for their help in getting a temporary store up and running.

"We are committed to serving customers in Folkestone and we are looking forward to opening the doors of our new temporary store in the coming weeks."

Since the fire, the chain has introduced a temporary bus service to the nearby Dover store, and extended its online delivery services to Folkestone.