He said: “I was on the phone to shop-fitters as the firemen were damping down the blaze. Luckily, they still had the plans and the tradesmen have done a really good job. My staff also worked round the clock to get things back open again. We rent the premises from the council and they have also given us tremendous help.”
Paul, 55, added that he was crushed when his shop was set alight by criminals on the night of 15 January. “It was a real blow when the fire happened, but I was determined not to let 37 years of work building the business go to waste,” he said, before thanking the customers and local residents that supported him and his staff throughout the ordeal.
