A MASTER carver's business has been destroyed by fire.

The fierce inferno has destroyed the building and a dangerous cylinder inside means Meltham Road will be sealed off between Netherton and Lockwood for 24 hours.

The blaze at Dr Joseph Hemingway's joiner's shop behind a row of cottages on Wood End Road, Armitage Bridge, was discovered at 10.10 last night.

The business is close to the landmark Big Valley garage and flames could be seen shooting through the workshop roof when firefighters arrived.

Watch Manager Paul Mace, of Huddersfield fire station, said: "The building was completely engulfed in fire.

"It backs onto a row of five cottages and all the homes had to be evacuated with the people going to stay with friends and relatives.

"The workshop is a two-storey building tucked away and the roof collapsed as we arrived."

The crews discovered a large oxyacetylene cylinder inside and did all they could to cool it down, but it remains in a potentially dangerous state and could still explode at any time.

Watch Manager Mace added: "The oxyacetylene inside may now decompose and remain a risk even as it cools down.

"That is why the surrounding area will have to remain sealed off for a full 24 hours and the people who have been evacuated will have to stay away until then.

"No-one will be able to go into the wreckage of the building until a full day has passed and that includes the fire investigation team."

At this stage the cause of the fire is unknown.

Back-up was drafted in from Holmfirth, Slaithwaite and eventually crews were needed from Dewsbury. An aerial jet was finally fully doused the fire with crews staying there all night.

Joseph Hemingway became a doctor after receiving an honorary PhD from Cosmopolitan University, Missouri, two years ago.

This was to honour his work in carving two highly ornate wooden chairs - replicas of designs of 18th-century furniture maker Thomas Chippendale.

The chairs were known as "impossible chairs" because they were so difficult to carve.

He started work on the chairs in 2000 at his workshop.

He installed two CCTV cameras at his Armitage Bridge home last month - which is next to the workshop - because of repeated vandal attacks.

His Skoda car had been attacked several times.

Dr Hemingway started his career as an apprentice with the Huddersfield joinery firm of Taylor and Hobson, but set up his own cabinet-making business in 1968.

He then took an interest in the work of Thomas Chippendale and in the 1980s began work on his own intricate carved versions of Chippendale-style chairs. They became an international success, selling for up to £100,000 each.

It is not known what finished work he had in the workshop or what he was working on at the time of last night's fire.