A YEAR ago today residents of Marlborough Road watched in horror as a blaze swept through their Newport homes.

The fire that engulfed the Limebright factory, spread to the neighbouring street and gutted 13 homes. Alisa Chalk and Alison Sanders reports on 12 months of heartache for those effected.

MARLBOROUGH Road residents are still no closer to rebuilding their lives after the fire a year ago.

More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze on August 7, 35 houses were evacuated and 80 police officers helped co-ordinate the evacuation and clear-up operation.

Not only were residents left homeless, their worldly possessions destroyed, the Argus reported how properties were being looted after the blaze.

Now the agony of that day still continues as some are still left in rented properties, the remains of the demolished houses have still to be cleared and looting is still going on.

Mohammed Ishaq, who lives opposite the houses affected, said residents were told after the fire that it would be six to eight weeks for the site to be cleared.

But Mr Ishaq said nothing has been done and his sister-in-law, Parveen Akhtar, whose house was destroyed by the fire, is still waiting to find out more information.

Mr Ishaq said there is a problem with people stealing things from the empty properties which he said has caused other houses close to the derelict site to be burgled and damaged.

Katie Cook is still in limbo over her insurance claim.

Her house was badly damaged and boarded up, but thieves broke in and took everything from the bathroom suite, down to copper pipes under the floorboards and the central heating system.

Ms Cook, 27, has since been relocated to Christchurch Road at the expense of her insurers, but said someone needs to step in and make a decision over the situation.

She said: "There’s been no co-ordination of communication at all, that’s what frustrates me. At the beginning the council was telling the residents it would all be fine and sorted out, but I haven’t heard anything from them since. I’m basically in limbo."

Amanda Dyas , whose house had to be demolished after it was gutted by fire, now lives in Cardiff after being forced out of the home she had owned for just two months before the fire.

Ms Dyas had to watch her first ever home bulldozed into a pile of bricks.

But 12 months on she said nothing has changed.

Ms Dyas said she is disgusted the land has still not been cleared and will not settle with the insurers until the results of an ongoing Health and Safety Executive investigation have been released.

She said she feels sorry for the people still living there who have to open their front doors and look at it.

Ms Dyas said even if her house was rebuilt she would not want to live there She said: "I don't want to have to be anywhere near Marlborough Road. I don't want to have to see it on a daily basis."

She added: "If everyone was insured we would have a row of houses by now but my choice has been thrown out of my hands."

She said she done everything she can do but finds it hard to move on because it is always at the back of her mind.

Colin Price, 56, who has lived in Marlborough Road for 25 years, said the site is a health hazard.

He said: "It's an eyesore. You would think how Newport is now with the regeneration that something would have been done by now."

Tina Caroll, 25, who has just moved into Marlborough Road, said she wants to see something done with the site which is dangerous for children playing on the street.

She said: "I've got a child myself and children can be adventurous and want to make dens."

A spokeswoman for Norwich Union, Limebright’s insurance company, said that the situation now stands with residents’ own insurance companies.

She said: "If any properties have not yet been repaired this will be a matter for the householders to take up with their own individual insurance companies, who will be handling their claims and be responsible for any necessary work to be undertaken."