THE Police have told the Chronicle that they have not found any evidence to suggest the Frogmore Street fire was deliberate.

Over 100 firefighters were called to Frogmore Street to battle a blaze that broke out on the night of Sunday, November 10, and continued into the early hours of the next day.

The Magic Cottage charity shop was at the epicentre of the inferno that saw 12 residents evacuated from their homes.

The historic building which housed the shop collapsed and the popular newsagent's Cable News, situated next door, was also lost to the flames.

In the aftermath, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they would carry out a “thorough investigation” alongside Gwent Police crime scene investigators to establish the cause of the outbreak.

Earlier this month the Chronicle reported that a spokesperson for the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service revealed that, “Due to the building being unsafe to enter, no fire investigation could take place. A structural engineer recommends the building be demolished due to the structural instability.”

In response to the article, a spokesperson for the Magic Cottage issued a statement on social media that read, “The Abergavenny Chronicle are reporting that the cause of the fire may never be known.

“There were actually four different Fire Forensic investigators working on the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it.

“As a result of their investigations, no blame was attached to The Magic Cottage or any of its staff which has resulted in our insurance company accepting liability and will therefore ensure that the Magic Cottage recovers from the fire and carries on its charity objectives of supporting local children and young people with additional needs.”

We contacted the Fire Service with the Magic Cottage’s claim that there were “four different fire forensic investigators working on the cause of the fire.”

They replied, “We have no further updates at the moment.”

The Police have since informed us that although the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, they have “not yet found any evidence that suggests it was deliberately started.”

The officer in the case, PC John-Paul Velasquez-Cripps, said, “We understand the impact that this fire has had on those who live and work in Frogmore Street and the surrounding area in Abergavenny and we thank the community for their support and assistance.

“The extent of the damage caused by the fire means that we have not yet found any evidence that suggests it was a deliberately started fire during our enquiries so far.

“However we will continue to investigate the cause of the fire, and we would welcome any new information which could assist our enquiries.

"If you have any information, please contact us via our website, direct message us on social media, or call 101, quoting 2400375539."