Just over a week on from the blaze at Shaf’s Chippy, Mohammed Shafiq has described the impact as “truly heartbreaking”.
The shop has been closed since the incident on Thursday, January 9, though thankfully no one was injured at that time.
Providing an update following the blaze, Mohammed showed the devastating aftermath inside the Bridge Street premises.
However, despite the past few days being described as “incredibly difficult” he remains hopeful that the business will have a positive future.
He said: “Standing here seeing it with my own eyes, my business that I have built up since 2013, is truly heartbreaking.
“This has been an incredibly difficult time for me, my family and most importantly my staff as we are trying to come to terms with the loss of something we have poured our heart and soul into building.
“The safety of everyone is our top priority and, thankfully, no one was harmed in the incident. While the physical space is gone, the spirit of Shaf’s Chippy remains strong. We are determined to rebuild and come back even stronger.
“We’ll keep you updated on our plans moving forward, and we are hopeful for what the future holds.”