A Birmingham convenience store selling Caribbean, Asian, African and Arabic food has been destroyed in what is alleged as arson attack, leaving its owner devastated by the devastation.
Ajwa Exotics on Gooch Street, Highgate, was targeted shortly before 2.30am on Tuesday (Sept 22), with a fire ripping through the building and destroying everything inside.
The store’s owner, Irfan Ali, said he was “stressed” by the incident and told BirminghamLive he had no idea why anyone would target the business.
“I have no idea,” he said when asked whether he knew of any reason someone might have carried out the attack.
No one was injured in the fire.
West Midlands Police told local media that it was treating the incident as arson and was pursuing a number of lines of enquiry. The force is appealing for anyone with information about the attack to come forward.
Neighbouring business also damaged
The fire also affected Big John’s restaurant, which is located next to Ajwa Exotics.
A spokesperson for the Big John’s franchise department said the restaurant had suffered smoke and water damage, which would be fully assessed once the premises were safe to enter.
The attack has also caused anger among local residents, with one nearby resident describing the destruction of the convenience store as devastating.
The incident highlights the wider impact of attacks on local retail businesses, with the damage extending beyond the targeted premises to neighbouring businesses and the surrounding community.
A section of Gooch Street was cordoned off following the incident.