A NEW addition to the town centre Burger King has arrived while repairs on the main building continue.

The fast food restaurant went up in flames in June and the Queens Drive site has since been covered in scaffolding and sheets while the damage is dealt with.

There is no clear indication of when the site will be able to serve customers again but a smaller solution has been put in place in the meantime.

The fast-food chain requested permission to build a ‘drive-through pod’ which includes a kitchen and serving area in a temporary building which would be set up in the car park.

Judging by the enormous crane seen lowering a rectangular block onto the car park's edge yesterday afternoon, it seems permission has been granted.

Workmen in high-vis jackets and helmets looked on as the crane operator carefully moved the structure down to the ground and left it hovering slightly above the road surface while the crew aligned it properly.

The burger business can operate the bite-sized building for up to 12 months while the scorched main restaurant is restored.

Customer parking on the site will be removed because the pod will be drive-through only, but some parking will be retained for staff.

Several crews from Swindon, Stratton, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade and Westlea responded to reports of a fire on June 24 then cordoned off the area when they arrived.

For safety reasons, police closed Queens Drive completely from 6.53pm to 9.30pm and asked neighbours to close their windows while customers and were evacuated and firefighters battled the blaze.

In August, the Adver learned that the fire had not been started intentionally.

A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Our fire investigation officer completed an initial inspection and confirmed the fire was caused accidentally but further investigations into the exact cause will be determined by the insurance company.”

At the time of the incident, a spokesperson added: “Initially crews wearing breathing apparatus used two main lines and two hose reel jets entered the building to fight the fire but building soon became unstable so were withdrawn.

“Firefighting continued externally with the assistance of the aerial ladder platform which was used as a water tower.”

The fire happened within the roof.

The Adver approached Burger King for a comment about the new drive-through pod and a possible reopening date for the main building but did not receive a response before deadline.