A couple who suffered a disastrous end to 2018 say their furniture and antiques business could collapse after their stock was destroyed in a warehouse fire in Croydon.

This was the latest cruel blow for The Green Emporium, on Croydon Road in Penge, after their rent was doubled just weeks earlier, forcing them to focus on online sales.

The owners therefore moved the stock to a warehouse in Purley Way, which caught fire on New Year's Eve.

More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze, and nobody was reported injured.

Steve Webb, 57, was loading his van on New Year's Day morning to bring more stock to the warehouse when his wife Gem told him the news.

"My wife just said not to bother. It had gone up in smoke," he said.

"It was just a total shock. I don’t know where to go from here. We were really picking up and some substantial pieces are now just gone."

Steve, who has early onset Parkinson’s, took over the shop with his wife two years ago.

Business was booming over Christmas before the fire, which Steve said has put his future in doubt.

Steve’s wife says she was feels "very shaky and emotional" and said the reality of the situation is only now sinking in.

The couple’s daughter started a GoFundMe to help her mum and dad recover.

She wrote: "They are not the type of people to ever ask for help, but I wanted to do something to spread the word, so they can find some hope in the situation and continue on.

"Any money raised will go towards paying for any additional storage costs and to help replace the stock that was destroyed in the fire."

Steve said all the best bits were destroyed by the fire and it was hard to quantify how much they had lost.

The couple do have storage insurance but have been unable to get in touch to learn how much money they can recuperate.

They now have 30 days to leave the shop before their tenancy is up.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.