Firefighters have been praised for their speed in containing a blaze at a furniture workshop in Haworth yesterday morning.

The ground floor area of Damside Mill, off Lees Lane, caught fire at about 6.20am, and smoke was beginning to seep into the upstairs area.

The workshop, used by bespoke furniture designer Anthony Hartley, is just a few feet from apartments in a neighbouring converted mill.

Two engines from Keighley joined one from Bingley and one from Haworth. Smoke was seeping out of upstairs windows when they arrived.

Firefighter Mick Brennan said: “When the crews arrived, the ground floor was well alight.

“There was the possibility it could spread to the upper floors – there was quite a lot of smoke coming out of the upstairs windows. Our main concern was stopping it from spreading to the residential complex next door.

“An investigation has now been launched into the cause.”

Mr Hartley said residents of the mill had called in the fire shortly after it started. He added: “It looks like more smoke damage than anything else, but I won’t know until I get a chance to look inside.”

He thanked firefighters for dealing with the fire so quickly, and residents for alerting them.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I was woken up by the blue lights. It looked like they controlled it really well.”