FIRE investigators suspect a kitchen equipment fault to have been the cause of a blaze that left a shop badly damaged in Aldeburgh.

An investigation has found that a fault in kitchen equipment may have led to the outbreak at the Aldeburgh Market, shortly before 10.30am yesterday.

Staff and customers were evacuated from the delicatessen and cafe minutes before flames spread through the first floor and broke through the building's roof, closing the High Street to traffic for much of the day.

Fire crews from across the county joined the effort to fight the flames. Two crews initially sent to the scene required further assistance from Orford, Halesworth and Woodbridge, as well as the turntable ladder from Ipswich East.

Roadblocks were set up at either end of Aldeburgh High Street and on the Saxmundham Road approach to the town, which is currently in the middle of hosting its 65th annual arts festival.

Part of the roof collapsed under the force of the fire and most of the building was smoke-logged before firefighters were able to bring the flames under control.