The cause of a fire which devastated a small business was accidental, investigations have confirmed.

Cars, fencing and piles of metal had been left blackened after a fire ripped through RMS in West Barnes Lane in the early hours of the morning.

Ron Chong, the owner of car repairs business was alerted by police just before 7am on Thursday, September 4 where he found cars worth hundreds of pounds each parked on the forecourt had been destroyed by the fire.

Fire investigators said the blaze was accidental and it was likely to have been caused by a discarded cigarette.

Watch manager Steve Preston at New Malden fire station said: "It could have been anything, maybe a cigarette not put out properly which could have slowly smouldered and caught light.

"Something deliberate has been ruled out."

Investigators based in central London carried out a thorough investigation which included looking at the burning patterns of the fire to work out the source.

Mr Chong said the business was back to normal.