The firms coping in the wake of the Rettendon blast

A shop owner whose building was caught up in a huge explosion says it is not the fire, but the finances, that have left his business in ruins.

More than 100 firefighters tackled a massive fire at an industrial unit near Rettendon in Essex on 24 July, which triggered a huge explosion at a fertiliser store at Highlands Farm.

Tony Brazao's business, Coral Passion, lost "several hundred" fish, shrimp and coral, and the property wall and power supply were also damaged.

Despite costs "well into six figures", he claims insurers MSIG have been "unwilling" to pay out more than £15,000. The firm would not comment on individual cases but said all concerns were "considered carefully".

Brazao said: "We survived the explosion but are we going to survive the aftermath?"

The livestock "perished" due to the loss of electricity, which can sometimes make a claim exempt if it is a deliberate act.

"In the small print of the insurance and if it's turned off deliberately, the electricity, rather than the fault at the substation, we don't get paid out for that," Brazao said.

"But what they're supposed to do, let the fire brigade get electrocuted? The electricity you had to get turned off to allow the fire brigade to work."

He says he has made sure all of his suppliers have been paid.

"I don't want any other small businesses on my suppliers to be negatively impacted by this. Why should they?" he explained.

Brazao had vivid memories on the day of "raining fire" and "half a car" landing in his neighbour's garden, but his subsequent health problems - including tinnitus and multiple headaches - have served as the main reminder of the explosion.

Event production company Spotlight Sound was caught in the fire and explosion, but owner Sam Dimond said business had continued on regardless.

He said: "Our building was alight for about two days, so we knew that there wasn't going to be a lot, if anything, to recover."

Replacing stock and equipment has been "a headache" but they have managed to keep all their clients and upcoming bookings, he added.

Dimond said he was impressed by the fire service and the support he received from his peers, including competitors, adding that Chelmsford City Council had been "really good" with emergency support.

The authority assisted all 42 affected businesses - many of which were "small or family-run" - with funding of £281,000 to bridge the gap in the short term.

It has also offered third party business advice, workspaces and mental health support, as well as helping them seek relief from their usual business rates.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is in the midst of a "multi-agency investigation" and is currently "limited" in the information it can share.

A spokesperson said: "We want to ensure that any information released is accurate and reflects the full picture, so we will provide further updates when it is appropriate to do so."

In response to Brazao's concerns, a spokesperson at MSIG Europe said: "We understand that concerns have been raised regarding the handling of this claim and we take such concerns seriously.

"However, as this concerns an individual claim, we are unable to comment on the specific circumstances or our handling of the case due to data protection and confidentiality requirements.

"Please be assured that any concerns raised by a claimant are considered carefully through our established claims and complaints processes, with also possibility to raise issues with the Ombudsman."

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