A crisis management plan went into action at the fashion chain Primark yesterday after a warehouse fire wiped out half of the retailer's stock. The building, which cost £8m to construct five years ago, was destroyed. "This is about as bad as it can be," a spokesman for Primark said. A spokesman for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "It was full of clothes so it was obviously going to s pr ead very quickly."

Primark, which specialises in discount fashion for under-30s, is one of the fastest-growing fashion chains. It has 120 outlets and is part of the Associated British Foods group. In September, it reported a 12% increase in like-for-like sales even though the rest of the retail sector is struggling.