Blind man loses vital equipment in flats fire

A visually impaired man is among dozens of residents unable to go home following a fire that tore through the roof of a block of flats.

Ryan Cliffe, who is registered blind, has been staying in temporary accommodation since the fire in Keel House, Weymouth, on Sunday.

Although his flat was only water damaged, he left with only his phone and the clothes he was wearing, and has so far been allowed to retrieve just a few essentials.

His aunt Joanne Pearce has launched a fundraiser to help her nephew replace some of the items he relies on for his independence.

All 32 flats in the building in Dorchester Road were evacuated when firefighters were called at about 00:45 BST.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent's Dorset Breakfast show, Cliffe said he and the other residents had been put into hotels and holiday lets.

He said: "We're currently not allowed any access to the flat.

"I'm so used to being in my home, now I'm having to get used to being in a different place.

"I was allowed to go in with a member of the fire brigade the day after.

"I was able to quickly grab a couple of things I needed - my iPad and things that help me, my lanyard that shows people I'm visually impaired, my blue badge and passport."

Cliffe relies on specialist technology and equipment to navigate the world independently.

Recounting the night of the fire, he said: "I was about to go to bed and I heard some banging coming from upstairs.

"I looked out the window, there was a gentleman in the car park who said 'there's a fire up there, by the way'.

"I went outside and saw a load of smoke billowing out of the window of the top floor flat."

Pearce said of her nephew: "He doesn't like to bother us. He's so fiercely independent.

"There's still a lot of water damage so we don't know the full extent of that but he didn't have anything, he just walked out the flat with the clothes he had on.

"Luckily everyone got out unhurt but we want to raise a bit of money and Ryan would like to help the other families as well.

"There's a family with a 12-day-old baby - they've lost everything as well and he wants to help them.

"It's devastating really."