SPECIAL investigators are trying to determine what led to a blaze ripping through a Winchester village family business destroying more than 20 cars inside.

Fire crews had to remove propane cylinders, butane gas tanks and fuel tanks amid fears of an explosion at a garage repair shop early yesterday.

More than 40 firefighters from across the county were called to Williams Garage in Main Road, Otterbourne after the inferno started at about 3.30am.

Flames started in one corner of the building near the paint working area and quickly spread. Investigators have not ruled out the fire was started deliberately.

Crews from St Mary’s, Redbridge, Eastleigh, and Winchester fire stations fought for more than three hours to bring the fire under control.

Incident commander from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Shaun Cheeseman,watch manager from St Mary’s fire station, said: “When we arrived, flames were coming out of the top of the rear workshop and the building was well alight with smoke coming out of all the doors. The fire was that intense that we couldn’t get any crews inside we had externally fire fight initially because of how bad the fire was.”

Many of the firefighters had to go into the building “two or three times” to bring it under control.

The main building, with all contents inside, including 20 vehicles and workmen’s tools, was virtually destroyed.

A workshop at the rear of the building was also gutted as well as offices.

Three burnt out cars outside the building were “glowing orange” from the radiated heat of the fire.

One of those was a Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, one of only 500 made and worth around £60,000.

No-one was injured and no neighbours in the nearby properties had to evacuate.

Mr Cheeseman said that the fire “had the potential to be dangerous but added: “Because the crews acted quickly it wasn’t. It could have been worse.” Police and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were investigating on scene throughout yesterday.

Williams Garage had been contracted by Hampshire police for accident recovery and for storing vehicles from crime scenes.

A spokesman from Hampshire police said they believed no evidence had been lost or damaged in the blaze.

Owned by Peter and Ted Whieldon, Williams Garage had been in Otterbourne for about 30 years and used to have a fuelling station on the site but that stopped about five years ago.

It is not known what will happen to jobs of the 14 members of staff.

Alf Underwood, workshop manager, said that when he arrived firemen were trying to stop the fire.

He said: “We’ve got to demolish the site and start again. We shall rise again we will build it up from nothing.”

A six-foot long Moray eel which was housed in the reception wasn’t harmed nor were the birds in an owl sanctuary at the back.

The village shop next door survived the blaze but the electricity was shut off and stock was damaged by the fire. It was due to re-open yesterday.

Shop manager Ian Stephens described the situation as “unbelievable”. “I’m gutted,” he said. “We’re all the same business at the end of the day.”

Mr Cheeseman added: “We actually saved a lot of the shop which is at the front of the building and some of the garages attached to houses around the back. “The crews worked really well during the night.”