Fire tackled in 'eyesore' building near village railway station

FIREFIGHTERS responded to a blaze which broke out at a derelict building next to Brockenhurst Railway Station this morning (Friday).

The alarm was raised around 8.45am, with reports of a small fire in a woodpile inside the structure, which was formerly used as a warehouse by Redmayne Engineering.

Equipped with breathing apparatus, crews from the village and Lymington quickly contained the emergency. A Hampshire Fire and Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said they were still damping down at the scene around 9.40am. British Transport Police officers also attended.

An eyewitness who wanted to remain anonymous told how he came across the incident while walking his dog. He called for something to be done with the abandoned building, branding it an “eyesore”.

“I heard one fire engine and it was clear it was responding to dark [smoke] in the sky over the centre of the village which smelt acrid,” he said.

“Very shortly afterwards I heard the second fire engine. The old Redmayne Engineering building, a very large prefabricated store, was billowing smoke. The firefighters were in there with water hoses, and then a fan to blow the smoke clear.

“The site’s been empty and neglected for several years – in the winter I think a couple of homeless people sleep there. But it’s about time it was sorted out and turned from an eyesore into an asset for the village.”