About a third of the collection was saved from the fire

Usually the staff at the National Motorcycle Museum would be welcoming visitors; eager to get people through the doors.

But on Wednesday, in a complete reversal of their function over the past 20 years, security was turning away anyone who did not have business at the site

Firefighters - 120 of them - had spent the night battling flames which engulfed two-thirds of the museum and, with it, a large part of one of the finest bike collections in the world.

They were still damping down hotspots as staff wheeled exhibits back into the building - the machines and memorabilia saved the day before.

I feared for him this morning and how he would take all this - he's bloody upset Ken Wilson - speaking about bike restorer Colin Wall

It was, excuse the pun, all hands to the pump as even a chef from the museum's conference facilities guided a pre-war Norton from the car park to what is left of the building.

There were none of the usual smiles which greet visitors and, despite the relief that some of the collection had survived, most people could only mourn the irreplaceable bikes which had perished.

No one was more downcast than Colin Wall who, for two decades, has painstakingly restored exhibits from little more than boxes of parts.

Mr Wall could only repeat the words everyone was saying: "I'm devastated."

'Rise from the ashes'

Museum spokesman Ken Wilson explained: "Colin has been restoring bikes all his life.

"There's so much of his work in there and it's breaking his heart to see what's happened.

"I feared for him this morning and how he would take all this. He's bloody upset."

Unique competition bikes were among those destroyed

But Colin will have no shortage of offers to help in piecing back together anything which can be salvaged.

A group of bikers came to the museum to offer help at 0600 BST and many have phoned up to lend support.

But some things are gone forever.

The fire, believed to have been caused by a discarded cigarette, completely destroyed the competition bikes exhibition.

These are machines which won races and broke records and, as such, are unique.

Despite their devastation, the staff share a determination to re-open as soon as possible, and those machines saved still represent an impressive collection.

The museum owner, Roy Richards has issued a statement of intent.

He said: "From ashes we shall rise again, as fast as is humanly possible.

"It is going to take time, so many of the exhibits are completely irreplaceable, but we shall face the problem and get on with it."