TOTNES landlords and businesses are being urged to carry out checks on electrical systems following a shop blaze in one of the most historic sections of the town's shopping centre.

The fire, which may have ruined thousands of pounds worth of clothes, is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

At the same time fire victim Richard Bravo, whose flat in Totnes town centre was wrecked in a blaze just before Christmas, revealed that fire too is now thought to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Mr Bravo warned Totnes' centuries old historic buildings packed into the main shopping street are like tinderboxes.

"This is two in the space of three months. Landlords need to get on to the case and sort something out," he said.

His concerns were echoed by Business Guild leader Paul Wesley, who revealed he is planning to email all his guild members urging them to get electrical surveys carried out.

Mr Wesley, whose bookshop business in Totnes Butterwalk is just a few doors up from the latest blaze at Foredeck ladies fashion business, said: "These buildings are interconnected. They overlap one another, the floor joists are interconnected. Any fire would spread very rapidly from building to building. This is a lot more serious than many people realise."

The latest fire happened on Friday morning in an electrical unit in a cupboard in the middle of the fashion shop Sue Shimmell has owned for the last five years.

Firefighters from Totnes tackled the fire which was confined to a small area on the ground floor of the shop, although it involved them cutting through a roof area in a lean-to section of the building.

A fire spokesman confirmed the cause had been an electrical fault.

Ms Shimmell praised her staff Alison Wills and Jodie Singleton who reacted quickly to the blaze.

Most of the damage was confined to smoke and dust, but it has affected much of the clothing in the shop.

"We were very lucky," she said. "There has been no structural damage, but because of all the dust the clothes have been affected. As yet I don't know what we will be able to do about it."

The shop was forced to close and Ms Shimmell said she hoped she would be able to reopen in 'a few days'.

Jewellery makers Richard Bravo and his mother Hilary lost virtually all their belongings just before Christmas after a fire swept through their flat in one of the town's Grade II listed buildings in Fore Street.

He said the fire, which partially destroyed a priceless 17th century moulded ceiling, was first thought to have been caused by a candle but insurance forensic experts now believed it may have been an electrical fault.

The huge blaze which destroyed the Grade I listed East Gate in Totnes 20 years ago this September may have been caused by an electrical fault although the damage was so great it was impossible to say for sure.

Most of the centuries-old Butterwalk in Totnes where the latest fire took place is a Grad II listed structure.

Mr Wesley said: "I will be putting out an email to all our members to encourage them to check their electrical systems and to do it in conjunction wither the fire authority."

He said he had his own electrical system checked out at least every 10 years.