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Latest news in Yorkshire: March 28, 2019 12:16:39 PM
Four independent businesses have been left devastated after an arsonist
doused a shopping precinct in petrol — causing tens of thousands of
pounds worth of damage.
Shop owners at Mexborough’s Bank Street arcade told of their heartbreak
after the site was torched just after midnight yesterday (Wednesday).
“I was so shocked,” said the owner of Kings and Queens salon, who
arrived at the scene with fellow business owner Billy Kimber in the
early hours.
“We are all just small businesses. We are all just hard-working people.
It’s just absolutely knocked us for six.”
Police were called at 12.25am and an investigation was underway
yesterday.
CCTV footage showed one suspect, believed to be a man, dousing the
building with petrol in a number of different places.
The salon owner, who did not want to be named, said: “What they have
done is come through the front door, poured petrol through my shop,
through the multi media centre, across the outside of the bouncy castle
hire business all the way down the arcade and covered Bijoux Tattoo’s
doors, poured it across their equipment and lit the fire at the rear of
the building.”
The blaze caused several “explosions” and was tackled by three fire
crews for over 90 minutes.
The salon owner said he believed it was a planned attack and branded the
arsonist “absolutely disgusting”.
He added: “We come to work just to make a living. We do quite a bit for
the community, we’re partaking in a charity event this weekend for child
burns victims.
“It just seems like you can’t have anything these days.”
The salon owner estimated the fire would cost him around £30,000,
including loss of earnings.
Mr Kimber, who owns Bijoux Tattoo, said when he arrived at the scene he
was devastated and feared for people’s safety.
“When you see fire you think people are going to get hurt,” he said.
“It’s probably going to cost me around £3,000 and we will be forced to
close for I don’t know how long.
“I don’t know if I’ll return to Mexborough. Over the last couple of
months it’s just progressively getting worse.”
To pass any information onto police, call 101 and quote incident 14 of
March 27 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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https://wath-on-dearne.com/wathondearne/around-the-dearne-valley/
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[tags arcade, arson, mexborough]
News source: rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk