HE had done nothing wrong but photographer Steve Williams was sent to Fenland’s own ‘Siberia’ yesterday to test the temperature inside the UK’s biggest cold store in Wisbech.

Wisbech Standard: Wisbech Cold store workers. -22CWisbech Cold store workers. -22C (Image: Archant)

As the rest of East Anglia sweltered in temperatures up to the high 20s, inside Ice Cold Storage Holding’s Boleness Road premises the temperature for some workers never drops below -22C.

Wisbech Standard: Wisbech Cold store workers. -22CWisbech Cold store workers. -22C (Image: Archant)

Manager Mark Swash explained that this was the core temperature for those in the loading and wrapping area.

The cold store that has capacity for 77,000 pallets.

Even that is not the coldest part for storage areas of -28C are needed for the massive volume of products they handle each year.

However and happily technology means the pallets there are moved by machines and not men.

Workers – equipped with huge thermal boots and thickened overalls- said they get used to the cold although bosses insist they have a break after each two hours spent working in the sub zero conditions.

One worker said that the only downside was when they finished work and went home and needed to adjust to life “on the outside”.

He said: “I always have to carry on working for a while once I get home.

“I need to stay active else I’d simply fall asleep in the armchair