The owners of a former nightclub on the iconic Mumbles Pier in Swansea have been left 'completely devastated' after a fire tore right through it today.
Horrifyingly, the beloved former Cinderella’s nightclub was left in flames - leaving Fred and Bert Bollom totally heartbroken.
The two owners became the third generation of the Bollom family to own the structure after being passed down the venue, report Wales Online.
It is believed the fire started around 11am on August 31, as firefighters rushed to the venue to tackle the blaze. Reportedly, smoke could be seen billowing across Mumbles and Swansea for miles around.
There are no injuries, however there has been significant damage to the buildings. But pier and arcade have not been affected.
Third-generation owners spoke of their heartbreak following the incident. They said: "As a family, we are completely devastated by today’s fire at Mumbles Pier.
"We are still trying to understand the cause of the fire, but we believe it started to the rear of the former Cinderella’s building and spread throughout the row of buildings on that side of our complex. Thankfully, the pier itself and the arcade appear to have escaped any damage from the fire."
They also said they were "incredibly grateful" that no-one had been injured, adding: "This is in no small part due to our wonderful team who pulled together, kept calm and worked quickly to ensure everyone left the site safely. We want to sincerely thank each and every one of them.
“We also want to express our gratitude to the emergency services, particularly the fire service and police, for responding so quickly today. We will continue to work with them in their investigations and we will keep our customers updated about our situation in due course.”
Locals and tourists who were at and around the pier today took to social media to share footage of the sizeable fire, just before police arrived.
One person wrote on Twitter : "I hope the beautiful Mumbles Pier will be OK. I love Mumbles and was only on the pier a few weeks ago. Sad sad day if it is destroyed."
Another said: "That doesn't look good. Mumbles pier one of my favourite places."
While a third recalled the wonderful memories they made there, writing: "So sad to see old #cinderellasnightclub on Mumbles Pier has had a fire. I met my husband there when we were 17 and 18 in 1995... So many happy memories."
South Wales Police said they were called at 11.30am to a fire at the pier.
A spokesman said: "Local road closures have been put in place and the public is advised to avoid the area while the fire is being tackled."
An earlier statement from Mumbles Pier said: "Due to unforeseen circumstances the site will be closed from now until further notice. Sorry for any inconvenience caused."
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the scene at 11.09am with crews from Morriston, Tumble, Swansea Central, Port Talbot, Neath, Carmarthen and Cardigan all tackling the blaze.
