HARLOW'S community radio station is appealing for help after a fire ripped through its studio damaging equipment worth thousands of pounds.

Anglia Community Radio (ACR), which started broadcasting from Horsecroft Road, Harlow, in January, has had its world torn apart by the blaze.

It's the second serious blow for the station as two weeks ago, it found out that its National Lottery bid had failed. Without adequate funding, the volunteer-led station can barely function.

Station manager Paul Francis is now desperately appealing for assistance from local businesses.

A devastated Mr Francis said: "The main thing is that nobody was badly hurt in the fire. But it is a major setback because all the people who have put money into the station have lost out.

"We are appealing to all local businesses to sponsor us. In return we will give them free air-time for advertising."

The blaze started last Tuesday at 9.30pm when a video recorder in the editing suite overheated from the hot weather and burst into flames.

DJ Dan Baber, who had just finished his show, discovered the fire and tried to control it with an extinguisher. He then called Harlow fire brigade who spent two hours battling the blaze.

Mr Baber was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation, but the dedicated DJ later returned to the station to check the extent of the damage.

Much of the equipment, including computers, video recorders, faxes, compact discs, and video tapes, was ruined beyond repair by water from sprinklers and from hoses used to quell the fire. The value of the goods is estimated to be £3,000.

The radio station went back on air on Wednesday, thanks to the hard work of volunteers. But it now faces the daunting prospect of replacing expensive equipment and material lost on the computer hard drive.

Mr Francis said: "Everything was water-logged and a lot of our important equipment was damaged.

''We would like to thank Cash Converters, in Harlow, which has given us a computer monitor and keyboard."

He is now praying ACR will win its second lottery bid.

Mr Francis praised the firefighters who saved his station from total ruin.

He said: "The boys were absolutely great. If the Green Goddesses had been on duty they might not have got there in time. It just goes to prove that we need our fire service badly."

The station broadcasts across Harlow and Stort Valley and features a news show by the Citizen three times a week.

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