A FARMER has been left devastated after his elderly father-in-law died of a heart attack from the shock of seeing the family’s barn go up in flames.

Michel Chaspierre, 75, collapsed on Monday while 30 fire-fighters tackled the blaze at Hill House Farm, Mortimer Road.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said he was treated by fire-fighters before paramedics arrived. He was taken to Barnsley hospital but died early on Wednesday.

Son-in-law Allan Ivy, who owns the farm, said: “We are holding up OK. He hasn’t been well for a while but it still came as a shock. I think the stress of the fire was the final thing for him.

“The fire is just a secondary problem for us now. It has been a terrible week for the family.”

Firemen tackled the blaze for almost eight hours on Monday afternoon after an oil fired burner set the barn on fire.

The barn, used as an office and workshop, had thousands of pounds worth of machinery, cars and other equipment inside.

Mr Ivy, who owns Pasty King in Meadowhall, left his workshop in the barn to get lunch from the house at around 1pm. When he came back a fire had started and was out of control.

Although Mr Ivy had buildings insurance the contents of his barn and his caravan, that was also destroyed, were not insured.

It took six engines from fire stations across the borough to tackle the flames because of poor water supply.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said: “The insulation in the walls meant the barn went up very quickly. After we got the fire under control our men went in with breathing apparatus to stop the metal sheets smouldering that had fallen from the roof.”