A COUPLE have praised council staff for taking prompt action following a huge fire at Derby's Assembly Rooms.
Ann and Bill Young, of Spondon, were due to see Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beck at the venue just two hours after the blaze broke out on top of its car park.
But the fast work of box office staff meant they did not have a wasted trip.
Mrs Young said: "We were very impressed by the way that the Assembly Rooms staff dealt with cancelling their shows.
"We were due to see Anton du Beck's one night show on the evening of the fire and received a phone call at 6.30pm in time to prevent us from journeying into Derby.
"This was followed up within a week with a letter offering a refund of ticket money. Well done to the Assembly Rooms staff for their prompt action in the face of what must have been a very stressful situation."
Councillor Martin Repton, cabinet member for leisure and culture at Derby City Council, echoed the praise.
He said: "I am extremely proud of the way Derby LIVE staff responded to both the emergency situation they found themselves in on the evening of the fire and of their on-going efforts in ensuring that customers are fully informed about cancelled and rescheduled shows.
"Staff from across Derby LIVE have been working around the clock to contact promoters and customers to ensure that, where possible, the show will go on.
"We also must not forget those working behind the scenes in Property Maintenance, Facilities Management, Streetpride and Derby Homes, who reacted quickly to make the building safe and are now looking at getting it back open.
"The Carelink team did a great job in providing out of hours information on the car park. It has been a fantastic team effort across the council."
Mr Repton added: "Derby LIVE have been inundated with messages of support from partners from within the city, promoters, customers and the general public alike and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them for their help and best wishes."
