A FLOOD-hit crafts company has been working around the clock in a dramatic bid to clear the damage in time to launch a new studio.
Disaster struck on Sunday afternoon when water pipes burst inside Topaz Crafts, on Market Street, Oswaldtwistle, causing severe damage to the new design studio which was set to open on Wednesday.
Staff came in to help owner and TV personality Dawn Bibby sort out the mess.
Fire crews believe the pipes burst because of freezing temperatures over the weekend and around half of the single-storey building’s floor was under three inches of water.
Dawn, who regularly presents shopping shows on digital TV channel QVC, discovered the flooding when she came in to prepare for the studio opening which American craft expert Tim Holtz was scheduled to attend.
The studio will be used for craft classes and to display some of Dawn’s work.
Rena Martindale, general manager of the company, said: “Dawn called to tell me about the flooding and I contacted other staff members who all volunteered to come in and help.”
She said the part of the building that was damaged housed much of the stock the company sells on television.
Rena added: “The problem isn’t so much with the mess the floods left but the loss of creative time. The entire process of making the crafts has been lost and cannot be replaced.
“All of the staff came in on Sunday and they were all here on Monday helping to sort things out.
“Dawn and I had just came back from a conference in America on Friday so we were a bit jet-lagged but we are all working hard cleaning things up.”
Fire crews managed to pump out the majority of the water but the burst pipe caused some structural damage to the building.
Rena said: “Tim may have to cut a damp ribbon but we are still really excited about the new studio.’’
