The fire, which is thought to have been caused by local youths, started last Tuesday evening (22 May), and was fueled by the waste paper bales that stood apart from the converting factory.

Managing director David Crighton said that 135 tonnes of waste paper had been destroyed. He said: “It is OK now, although any fire is serious. No-one was hurt and no buildings were damaged.

“The stock affected was waste paper that was stored there. However, there has been no impact on the output. It wasn’t major in the grand scheme of things.”

Crighton and local police believe that local young people started the fire.

Fire station manager at Rawdon and Otley, Nigel Atkins, said: “At the height of the blaze, four large jets and one hose reel were in use, which is quite a dramatic fire.

“The problem was that it was waste paper, so you have to pull it apart, which is why it took so long.”

Garnett Paper ceased paper production at the Wharfeside mill in November 2005, and moved it to Vapi in India.

The site now concentrates on finishing and converting paper which is imported from India.

Crighton said that the main reason for the move at the time was pricing pressure, especially for energy and water.

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Garnett Papers factfile
UK staff 55
Finishing and conversion Otley, West Yorkshire
Paper production Vapi Mill, India
Annual capacity 12,000 tonnes, up to 15,000 tonnes by 2008
Major brands Filemaster, Ecoline, Mottled, Alchemy