THE cost of repairing a fire-hit service station has been estimated at £500,000.

All four businesses on the site of Middleton Service Station, in Middleton, near Pickering, lost all their stock in the November 8 fire. The premises will all have to be rebuilt.

Quad bike firm Moorland ATV and CH Farm Systems resumed business within days, while Parson's Truck Centre and Total petrol station and its adjoining shop will begin operating from temporary buildings in the next few days.

The petrol station is expected to reopen either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Site owner Brian Charlton said: "We are determined to reopen. We owe it to staff who've been loyal and helped clear up. We've had a lot of support from suppliers who have bent over backwards to deliver stock.

"Everything except the petrol pumps will have to be replaced, but we're determined we're going to re-build the business, hopefully in the next six to nine months."

Ben Hebron, owner of Moorland ATV, is running the company by telephone, while Bill Lamb, parts manager for Parson's Truck Centre, said their calls were being redirected to the company's head office in Hartlepool.

CH Farm Systems is operating from a van that was left undamaged.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.