Florists forced to move after a huge blaze devastated their shop have lost up to £12,000 worth of business at their busiest time of year.

Fleurtations Flowers, who have been based in Braintree’s High Street for 18 years, moved into a unit in George Yard after their business next door to BENS was left smoke-logged and water damaged.

Some 1,500 roses, which had arrived the day of the fire from Holland, were all damaged beyond repair.

Business owners decided to buy the flowers all again at a hiked price, after the original ones were bought in August, in order to continue trading on Valentine’s Day.

Owner Yolande Turgoose, 54, said the fire came “at the worst time of the year for us”.

She said: “We have lost everything, all the roses were completely ruined."

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.