RESILIENT traders at Altrincham Market House have united in efforts to clean up the historic building following a fire.

The Market House, which underwent a £175,000 makeover to turn it into a food hall in 2014, suffered minor fire damage and extensive smoke damage following the blaze in the early hours of New Year’s Eve.

A spokesman for the Market House said it was ‘not quite the start to 2015 that we had predicted’, adding their tributes to the fifteen firefighers from Sale, Altrincham and Wythenshawe who were dispatched to the incident.

Speaking on the Market House’s Facebook site, the spokesman said: "The fire started at approximately 2.30am, caused by an ice making machine in the pot wash.

“By 5am the heroes in the fire brigade had left site and, without their speedy actions, it could have been a whole lot worse.

“The resilient independents in Market House came together, as ever, as one big team and by 7am we were on with the clean up.”

Professional cleaners were expected to commence further clean-up operations this week ahead of a planned re-opening of the Market House by the end of the month.

In the meantime, traders who operated within the building have moved outside to the nearby covered market.

Spokesman Jenny Thompson said: “We will be running the specialist markets on Saturdays and Sundays from January 10.

“Our food and drinks will be served in the covered market on those days 10am-4pm.”

Ticket holders for New Years Eve events that had to be cancelled because of the fire are offered a range of options.

For more details visit facebook.com/altrinchammkt