THE owner of a Bromsgrove coach firm hit by a huge fire earlier this year said recovery has been “extremely difficult”.

Kevin Nind, co-owner of Kev’s Cars and Coaches said the recovery process has been “frustrating” and has taken longer than anticipated.

On Friday, March 11 a fire ripped through the depot on Birmingham Road, reducing 21 of their buses to burnt-out shells.

Thankfully, around 70 firefighters prevented the fire from reaching the building and no one was injured.

Three months on, Kevin said the firm still has an “excessive amount of money outstanding”.

“We are still owed around £280,000 because of the fire,” added Kevin.

“It’s extremely difficult as everything is now out of control as we have done our bit.

“We thought we would be out of it by this time with the majority of the recovery sorted.

“As a company, we need to stick together for the next three months to keep it going.”

Bromsgrove Advertiser: The firm has purchased new buses. The firm has purchased new buses.

Kevin, who has a brain degenerative disorder, says the process is made more difficult for him as he forgets things and has to backtrack.

However, despite issues the firm is slowly building back to full strength and Kevin dedicates this to his staff and customers.

“It would have been so much easier to give up but the staff morale has kept it going,” said Kevin.

“Our management team have worked extremely hard and the support we have been given from customers including the schools we service has been brilliant.

“We have a great working relationship with the financial companies, Worcestershire County Council and Transport West Midlands.

“I do get down about my illness and the whole situation but it’s the staff that keeps me going.”

Kevin said he expects the business, which was started by his father in 1975, to have fully recovered in “about two years”.