THE true cause of the blaze that destroyed an historic part of a Monmouthshire town last November may never be determined, after a fire inspector revealed “no fire investigation could take place.”

More than 100 firefighters were called to Frogmore Street in Abergavenny to battle a fire which broke out on the night of Sunday, November 10, and continued into the early hours of the next day.

The Magic Cottage charity shop was at the epicentre of the inferno that saw 12 residents evacuated from their homes.

The historic building which housed the shop collapsed and the popular newsagents Cable News, situated next door, was also lost to the flames.

In the aftermath , South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they would carry out a “thorough investigation” alongside Gwent Police crime scene investigators to establish the cause of the outbreak.

We can now confirm that a fire investigator has explained that: “Due to the building being unsafe to enter, no fire investigation could take place. A structural engineer recommend the building be demolished due to the structural instability.”

Police have not yet revealed if they are continuing to conduct any ongoing investigation of their own.