Company directors hope to prevent job losses by rebuilding a giant timber mill which burnt down.

Fire investigation teams were yesterday poring over the ashes of the gutted sawmill at The Woodland Centre, Whitesmith, Chidingly, to determine the cause of the blaze.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of solid oak plus offices, machinery, computers and vehicles were destroyed after fire broke out early on Sunday.

Company director Roger Cooper said: "We will be sitting down with the insurance company in the next couple of days to tot up the cost of what we have lost and determine whether or not it is viable to rebuild.

"If it is possible we will do it, because ten members of staff work there."

Employees were told to stay at home yesterday but Mr Cooper said they would be called in during this week.

Up to 80 firefighters at one time spent more than 34 hours tackling the fire, which was still smouldering in parts yesterday afternoon.

Mr Cooper added: "We would like to thank all our customers. "The support we have had is fantastic."

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue said: "It is too early to say what caused this fire."