A ROOM used by the Savoy Youth Theatre to store its costumes is a scene of devastation this morning following a fire which started in the small hours of this morning.

Emergency services were called to the White Swan Court at 4am when a fire was detected in rooms above the bridal shop which the youth theatre calls its home.

It is here that the youth group stores all of its costumes and puppets used in productions, and where the maximum amount of smoke damage has been caused.

It is believed the fire started in a cupboard in the room and spread into the main room where the costumes were neatly hung on rails.

Fire crews from Monmouth and Ross managed to stop the intense fire spreading throughout the building, but too late to prevent thick smoke engulfing the other rooms which the theatre group use as its base.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

Sam Densham, producer and director of Spontaneous Productions who runs the youth group said she was “absolutely devastated” by the news this morning as she surveyed the damage to the costumes, many of them irreplaceable.

At a loss for further words, she was comforted by friends and business owners in the White Swan building as fire crews began the job of working out the cause of the fire.UPDATE: 1.30pm. Lisa Bailey of Timpsons has just offered to wash and dry clean anything and everything free of charge that can be saved from the fire-damaged room. UPDATE: 1.40pm. Sam Densham said that they have found another room where the youngsters can rehearse, but the main task of moving everything out is yet to be done.