The Cunliffe family has lost everything after a fire destroyed their car restoration business and their son's professional drift car. The blaze broke out early on June 30, shutting part of the M58, and quickly consumed two units on Rainford Road in Bickerstaffe, Lancashire.
Family alerted to fire by friend
Antonia (Toni), 35, and Denis Cunliffe, 41, from Ashton, had spent 15 years building their car restoration business. Early on June 30, a friend sent Toni a screenshot of a fire near the M58. Toni instantly knew it was their units, as they back onto the motorway. Speaking to the ECHO, she said: 'My heart sank when I saw that screenshot. My husband had just left to take our son to school. They went straight to the unit and I met them there but it was too late. By that point it had been declared a major incident, everything was already gone.'
Fire service response
The fire service was called at 6:16 am on June 30, dispatching six fire engines, a water tower, and a drone. Firefighters had been alerted around 5 am and began tackling the blaze, which escalated to a major incident by 6 am, with engines from other forces attending. Toni said: 'It got more and more out of hand. My husband stayed until they finally put it out, around 3 pm and that's when they discovered how bad it was.'
Son's drifting career at risk
The family's son, Harry, 14, is a professional drifter known as Little Harry Drifting. He is currently leading the championship and was due to race next week, but his drifting career is now uncertain. Toni said: 'Our life has gone in one night. We're a working family, we don't have anything else, this is our life. Harry built his car from scratch, it's brand new, everything from the engine. He comes after school and works on his car and spends his weekends building it with his dad. He is the youngest driver on the grid, we're so proud of him and now he's lost his car. This is his dream, it's everything he works for. I can't put what's happened into words; you go to bed thinking everything's fine and wake up and it's all gone.'
Community support
The fire is believed to have started at a neighbouring unit and spread, also destroying two other units. Family friend Sam Bickerstaffe, who first alerted them, set up a GoFundMe to help rebuild Harry's dream. Toni said: 'I can't thank the drifting community enough for their support. It's like a family.'
