FIRE investigators were today hoping to be able to start probing the cause of the massive New Year's Eve blaze which wiped out a huge Hampshire warehouse crammed with bundles and bundles of paper files.

Two days after the inferno at Churchill Files Ltd on the Chalcroft Distribution Park at Burnetts Lane, West End, the wrecked 100x80 metre single-storey warehouse was still smouldering.

And it was thought that it would be today before the blaze, which was fuelled by thousands of archive files, finally burned itself out.

At least one fire appliance has been stationed at the scene of the spectacular blaze since New Year's Eve as firefighters keep a freezing day-and-night vigil to ensure that the fire does not flare again.

Yesterday, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Dave Askew said the fire was being allowed to burn itself out.

"A fire investigation officer has been there again today, but at the moment they are not able to get into the building.

"We are estimating it will be another 24 hours before the fire is out."

He added that a structural engineer had also been on site yesterday to assess the safety of the wrecked warehouse.

"As soon as we have a report from the structural engineer we can decide whether we can enter the building or whether we have to get people in to make the building safe."

Company directors were still refusing to comment on the blaze which is thought to have caused damage running into millions.