Torched carwash re-opens

The burnt out remains of the Crystal Clear car wash on Manchester Road, after the fire three months ago

The car wash company which was thrown out of business after an arson attack has re-opened its doors today (Monday 1 June).

Police say they are still hunting the arsonists who torched Crystal Clear carwash on Manchester Road, Castleton, in February, causing £100,000 worth of damage.

But the once gutted building has now been rebuilt, and the business has sprung back to life, with customers already queuing outside.

Jay Mahmood, who works at Crystal Clear said: “We are happy to be open again and already have all our regular customers waiting to come back to us.

“I’m just glad we are back up and running."

Ten houses were evacuated and a 200-metre cordon was put in place due to the sheer size of the blaze, which took place on 24 February.

Karen Taylor, who lives directly opposite the premises said: “I woke up to this horrible crackling sound and a nasty smell.

“I looked out of the window and a large pile of tyres were on fire at the car wash so I rang the fire brigade and they were here within minutes.

“It’s such a big shame as they are really popular and always busy.”

Detective Constable Chris Whalley of Rochdale CID said: "This fire took hold quickly and spread across the building causing a huge amount of damage.

"We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the fire or anyone who saw anything suspicious.

"If you have any information, no matter how small, please get in touch."

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8552 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.