THE owner of a business devastated by a fire has vowed to get it back running as quickly as possible.

Sue Dale was speaking hours after her family's florist and greengrocer shops in Wheelgate, Malton, were almost destroyed by a blaze.

The fire, which ripped through the shops and gutted offices and store rooms upstairs and to the rear of the building, also claimed the life of the family's "gorgeous" shop cat.

Experts investigating the blaze are looking at the possibility a heater may have been involved.

Mrs Dale, who runs the business with her husband, Brian, and son, Richard, said: "It's going to get up and running and go back to normal.

"We have a couple of empty shops up the street, where White Rose Books used to be, and then Robinsons' and Co, who are moving.

"We will have the florists at White Rose temporarily, and the double-fronted shop hopefully as the greengrocers'."

Other businesses in Wheelgate are likely to be affected as building work, which could include demolition, is carried out. Neighbouring shops, including the newly-opened Baps sandwich shop and Dazzles card and gift shop, were badly damaged.

Denys Townsend, chairman of Malton Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is going to be a distraction for the whole of the top half of Wheelgate in the run-up to Christmas.

"The chamber's role will be to try to minimise the effect of that."

Fire investigation officers were at the scene yesterday, and were due back today for further tests.

Early reports suggested children playing with fireworks at the back of the building could have been responsible.

But Terry Glover, spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, said it was possible a heater could have started the blaze.

Parts of the building must now be demolished.

Ryedale District Council's building control manager, Les Chapman, said: "We are having to take the second storey and the roof off to make it secure. We will have to do further demolition through to the back of the building."

Updated: 11:58 Friday, November 01, 2002