By Andy Dolan and Andrew Levy

Last updated at 12:04 AM on 15th July 2011

Five men killed in an explosion at an industrial estate may have been illegally brewing vodka using potatoes sourced from local farms.

Large glass bottles could yesterday be seen on racks in the charred lock-up unit where the men, thought to be Eastern Europeans, died.

Others lay smashed on the floor which was littered with red bottle caps, while empty boxes stood nearby.

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Bottles at a unit in Boston, Lincolnshire, where five men were killed last night. Reports suggest the unit was being used by migrants to brew alcohol illegally

Burnt out: Bottles at an industrial unit in Boston, Lincolnshire, where five men were killed on Wednesday night. Detectives have discovered chemicals at the site that suggest alcohol was being produced on the premises

Police and fire fighters at the Broadfield Lane industrial estate, in Boston, Lincolnshire, this morning where five men were killed last night. Reports suggest the unit was being used by migrants to brew alcohol illegally

Investigation: Police and firefighters at the Broadfield Lane industrial estate, in Boston, Lincolnshire

The 30ft by 15ft room also contained a warped metal storage unit and a pressurised container lying on its side.

The five bodies were brought out yesterday afternoon.

A sixth man had escaped after the blast on Wednesday evening, running out of the unit with his clothes burned off, his arms ablaze and his feet apparently 'melting'.

He was unconscious and 'very poorly' in a specialist burns unit last night.

None of the men had been identified, but sources said they were thought to come from Latvia and Lithuania, although a Lithuanian who works close to the scene of the blast said he believed one was English.

The explosion happened at Boston, Lincolnshire, where a quarter of the 30,000 population are immigrants from Eastern Europe, Portugal and India.

Used by migrants? The damaged building has been taped off. Police are now looking for any potential witnesses to the devastating blast

Used by migrants? The damaged building has been taped off. Police are now looking for any potential witnesses to the devastating blast

Yesterday police confirmed that chemicals consistent with the 'manufacture or production of alcohol' were found at the illegal distillery.

Some workers on the industrial estate, bordered by homes on one side and fields on another, said it was 'no secret' what was going on at the unmarked lock-up although a polythene sheet behind the door prevented callers from seeing inside.

They added that there was a smell of chemicals from the property in the week before the blast.

A large box van was seen arriving daily at the unit and would later be driven away after apparently being loaded with bottles.

The tragedy shines a spotlight on a little-reported cottage industry in moonshine which accounts for a proportion of the 600million revenue lost each year to alcohol fraud.

In March, 88litres of fake vodka were seized from eight stores and storage facilities in Boston by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and trading standards officers.

The spirit contained Isopropyl alcohol, which is widely used as a solvent and cleaning fluid and is unsafe for human consumption.

Local residents suggested that nearby potato farms were being targeted by gangs involved in the illegal brewing operations.

Vodka can be made from potatoes as well as cereal grains.

John Neal, 17, whose family owns a potato farm near Boston, said: 'The illegal distilling of alcohol from potatoes is common in this area.

Broadfield Lane. Witnesses up to five miles away heard the blast which they said sounded like 'the world was coming to an end' and sent a thick plume of smoke into the sky

Quiet again: Broadfield Lane where witnesses up to five miles away heard the blast which sent a thick plume of smoke into the sky

Investigations continue today at the site. Emergency workers were scrambled to the 30ft by 15ft unit shortly before 7.30pm after several 999 calls from members of the public who reported hearing the massive explosion

Investigations continue: Emergency workers were scrambled to the 30ft by 15ft unit shortly before 7.30pm after several 999 calls from members of the public who reported hearing the massive explosion

TROUBLE BREWING

Cases of large-scale brewing and distilling of illegal alcohol are rare in Britain.

In June a counterfeit wine scam was uncovered when a piece of chewing gum was found in a bottle of rose.

The plot came to light when a bottle was bought from an off-licence in north Liverpool.

Fifty 75cl bottles of wine - each on sale for 5 - were seized. Brands reportedly included Echo Falls, Blossom Hill, Kumala and Hardy's.

More than half a million euro-worth of pure alcohol, disguised as car-wash fluid and destined for the black market, was seized in Dublin Port in 2009.

The potentially lethal liquid, thought to have been distilled in Bulgaria, could have made up to 20,000 litres of counterfeit vodka. It was understood to be destined for pubs and market traders.

It is more common for drink to be brewed and distilled illegally in countries where alcohol is banned or prohibitively expensive.

Two years ago, 136 people died and 270 were admitted to hospital after drinking illegal liquor in the Indian state of Gujarat.

'All these Latvians have been coming around to the farm asking for 30 or 40 bags of potatoes.'

His father, also called John, said the potatoes were sold to an English shopkeeper who was sourcing them on behalf of Latvians.

Superintendent Keith Owen, of Lincolnshire Police, said the force was trying to establish the scale of the illegal brewing operation.

Steve Moore, area manager from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service, described the incident as one of the worst he had seen in his 28-year career.

'It was a really hot, intense fire,' he said.

The officer said the fierce flames set alight a car outside the unit and also buckled its roller shutters, meaning crews were forced to use hydraulic equipment to cut their way into the block.

'At this stage we cannot say what caused such intense heat or fire spread,' he said.

'Certainly, such an intense fire heat, a rapid spread, usually means there is very likely some form of accelerant of some description yet to be determined.'

Boston Central councillor Peter Bedford said he was shocked by the news.

'I don't know the cause or even which unit it was in but this is a real shock.

'We don't expect that kind of thing to happen in Boston. It's a small market town, predominantly agricultural.

'There is heavy industry in that industrial estate, there's a scrapyard, there's joinery works, it's a real mix.'

Boston East councillor Mike Gilbert added: 'I'm very anxious to find out exactly what's happened. It's a lot of people dead and a great tragedy.'

Police stood guard last night while fire fighters cut their way into the unit after intense heat melted its doors

Police stood guard on Wednesday night as firefighters cut their way into the unit after intense heat melted its doors

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Sounds Like More Enrichment Of Our Culture!

People brewing illegal alcohol die - One less problem to worry about.

cheers this is what happens when you get involved in illegal ops is no great loss as they are defrauding every tax paying BRITISH citizen what else are they involved in?they don't come here to work in Italy they are called the MAFIA get rid of them they are only sponging on us and our country send all their families back to where they come from ASAP

As long as the ridiculously high duties on spirits exist, this kind of thing is bound to happen. - Margaret Barrett, Bridlington, 14/7/2011 10:36 Hang on Margaret. Let's put aside for a moment that fact that the bit in the 'report' about the illicit still is only hearsay at this point - we are in England where duty is extremely low. A bottle of spirit can be bought for 10 or less in a supermarket. Illegal distilling is known of in some Scandinavian countries where spirits can be nearer to 30 or 40 per bottle. Even then it has more to do with the culture than inability to afford the product.

There is absolutely no proof that these people were migrants and even if they were it is entirely irrelevant to the story. Not for most of the racists on this comment board though it seems.

This also goes on in Turkey with their drink called Raki.Many have died over the years by illegally poisoning the drink and market it off in stores.And it is still going on as l write this

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