Chorley residents rally round to raise money for chippy owner after fire forces Lou Lou's Plaice to close

Lyon’s Lane was cordoned off while fire crews battled a fryer fire at Lou Lou’s Plaice at around 11.25am on Wednesday (December 7),

Three fire engines from Chorley, Leyland and Greater Manchester attended, with crews using one dry powder extinguisher and a ventilation unit to extinguish the flames.

No one was injured in the incident, but due to a misunderstanding with the landlord, owner Andy Shute discovered he wasn’t insured for the shop’s contents.

He feared the shop would have to stay closed until after Christmas or into the new year due to the cost of repairs.

But following the news, the community rallied round to help Andy, launching two fundraisers to help him cover the bills.

“The response on social media has been amazing,” Andy said,

“There’s been two GoFundMe pages that I’m aware of, and some of the comments are absolutely fantastic.

“I think it’s absolutely marvellous what everybody has done and how they have rallied together.

“It’s a lovely community and it’s been heartbreaking that we haven’t been able to serve customers.”

How did the fire start?

Andy said: “I came into the chippy this morning to set up and I changed the oil in one of the fryers.

“I took the barrel of used oil to the back of the chip shop, came back in and could see flames under the fryer cover.

“I used a powder extinguisher to put it out but the fryers are linked to an extraction system.

“As well as taking the fumes off the working ranges, it also collects chip fat. So the fat in the extraction system caught fire too.”

How much will it cost to repair the damage?

The fire damaged the electrics on the frying range and one company told Andy it could cost a staggering £33,000 to replace it.

How can I donate money to help?

There are currently two GoFundMe pages that have been set up to help Lou Lou’s Plaice reopen.

One has been set up by Chorley Eats – a local takeaway delivery service.

“We here at Chorley Eats have started a fundraiser to help owner of Lou Lou’s Plaice Andy get back open as soon as possible after a fire took hold in this local chippy,” a spokesman said.

“Andy has been all over social media recently in Chorley advertising his local chippy in an effort to drum up more business and this was going very well for him.

“Unfortunately, a small fire from one of his fryers has caused some damage and could cost up to £33,000 to replace. This is not covered by his current insurance.

“We have started this GoFundMe to try and raise a little to help towards his comeback."

You can visit the fundraiser by clicking HERE.

Another GoFundMe page was set up by a kind-hearted member of the community.

The fundraisers’ organiser, Sian Miller, said she hoped the money would help Andy get back on his feet.

“Most of you have seen that Lou Lou's Plaice has been trying so hard to provide quality food for the community at affordable prices,” she said.

“Unfortunately, tragedy has hit and a fire has meant that the owner is now facing a potential shut down after all of that hard work and spirit.

“This isn’t just a big business. It’s his livelihood.

“Can you spare a £1 or £2 to help get Andy back on his feet?”

You can visit this fundraiser by clicking HERE.

Alternatively, if you’d like to lend Andy a hand with cleaning up his chip shop, you can get in touch with him via Lou Lou’s Plaice Facebook page.