FRIGHTENED workers ran for their lives as 50ft flames devastated a factory on Isleport Business Park in Highbridge.

The mile-high smoke plume covered Highbridge and parts of Burnham within minutes of the blaze breaking out at Bolsius UK candle factory.

More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze thought to be one of the biggest in the area in living memory.

Two firemen collapsed and had to be treated with heat exhaustion but nobody else was injured.

AN elderly shopkeeper tackled an armed raider during the second attempted robbery in her sweet shop in just six months.

Mrs Mary Douglas fought off the tattooed attacker after he confronted her in the sweet shop and former post office in Oxford Street, Burnham on Sea.

But battling Mrs Douglas vowed to ignore advice to retire, and promised that she would carry on providing her service to the surrounding community.

In January Mrs Douglas had a 10-inch carving knife held to her throat by a young woman who demanded that she hand over her takings from the tiny sweetshop.

Speaking after the latest incident she told a Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News reporter: “He looked around and then asked for cigarettes and matches.

“He went through his pockets and I took my eyes off him for a second.

“When I looked up he was pointing a chisel at me and he said ‘I’m sorry but...’ “I just shouted at him to get out of my shop – it was sheer bad temper, I was frightened to death afterwards.”