STAFF reopened their funeral parlour yesterday after a devastating arson attack in January forced it to close.

The Howard Chadwick funeral parlour in Crowmarsh Gifford was one of several buildings in the village near Wallingford that went up in flames following arson attacks in the early hours of January 15.

The funeral office is next door to the £10m South Oxfordshire District Council headquarters in Benson Lane, which was also gutted in the attack along with a cottage in the village of Rokemarsh.

The funeral business has been open since 1991.

Co-owner Alistair Cox said the firm had been overwhelmed by public support after the parlour suffered an estimated £100,000 of damage, with costs covered by insurers.

Mr Cox said: “It looks fantastic now and I’m really thankful to all the builders.

“They worked until nine and 10 at night getting things sorted out.

“They have done a sterling job in such a short time.”

Mr Cox added: “What happened that morning was completely surreal and we will never experience anything like it again.

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“I got a phone call to say our building was on fire, and when I arrived I saw the funeral parlour on fire and the council building. Then a fire engine went straight past because it was heading to the other fire in Rokemarsh.”

Mr Cox added: “We are just glad no one was hurt.

“It would have been 100 times worse if we had been looking at a tragedy.”

Andrew Main, 47, from Braze Lane near Rokemarsh, has been charged with two counts of arson with intent to endanger life and two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

He has been remanded in custody to appear before Oxford Crown Court on Friday, April 10.