ZOO bosses have confirmed they are still open despite a fire in a coffee shop.

Fire crews were called to the Playa Patagonia Coffee Shop at Colchester Zoo after the Maldon Road attraction shut on Tuesday.

The store was badly damaged after a malfunction in the ice cream freezer.

Nobody was hurt.

A spokesman for Colchester Zoo said: "We are relieved to confirm that no one was harmed and the fire was contained within the coffee shop.

"We would like to say a huge thank you to the firefighters who were quickly on hand to extinguish the fire and to clear the building of smoke.

"The source of the fire came from behind the serving counter and unfortunately the coffee shop has suffered extensive damage.

"Due to the location of the shop this was easily accessible by firefighters from the main road and extinguished by 7.15pm.

"The cause of the fire has been found to be due to the compressor malfunction within the scoop ice cream freezer.

"As the fire was contained within the coffee shop, the zoo remains a safe and enjoyable place to visit."

Read more >>> Colchester Zoo coffee shop badly damaged after fire

The spokesman said the damage could take weeks to repair but the nearby Penguini's Restaurant will be opening as a temporary coffee shop to offer a limited menu of sandwiches, cold drinks and snacks.

He added: "Any fire incident is devastating and especially during these unprecedented times we are facing.

"This has added further worry and additional need of fighting for the zoo's survival.

"We are just grateful that there were no injuries or casualties."