The owner of a popular Tyneside deli has told of her devastation after the company's street food van was targeted by arsonists.
Sam Bruford, who heads up the family-run La Cucina Lounge.Deli, has had a catering van near Sainsbury's, in Team Valley, for 12 years and has operated a shop nearby for the last five years. After the vehicle was one of a number of premises broken into last year, the 32-year-old decided to invest in an upgrade and was just a few weeks away from opening.
However, Sam was left heartbroken when she learned that the van had been targeted by arsonists while it was awaiting some finishing touches outside Catering Units, on the Team Valley Trading Estate, in Gateshead, in the early hours of Friday, March 31. It was suspected that the van was maliciously set alight after someone poured petrol onto the vehicle.
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Fire crews were called to put out the blaze but most of the van was destroyed by the flames, leaving Sam, her girlfriend and 11-year-old daughter devastated. Sam said: "It looks like it was a malicious and targeted attack, which is what makes is so much worse.
"I'm just so grateful nobody was hurt. It really does break my heart - it's destroyed us. It's horrific and horrible to see. I've not slept properly. I'm more gutted that I have seen the damage to the van as I'll never forget it. It was planned and malicious attack, meaning someone has gone out of there way to do this and that makes it worse.
"I've worked hard all my life and I work just as hard as our other members of staff. The first van I bought was £900 and the wheel fell off on the way home. We built ourselves up from that. It's a real family business and we love it, it doesn't feel like were going to work. I don't know why someone would do this.
"About a week ago, we advertised that the van was nearly finished and would be up and running soon and we put a picture of it on social media. We can only think whoever responsible has seen that."
The attack, which Northumbria Police are investigating, has enraged the deli's customers and the local community and Sam has been overwhelmed with their support. A Just Giving page was even set up to help raise money to add to the £6,000 reward that Sam has offered for information that leads to an arrest.
Although deflated, Sam says the attack will not stop her, adding: "All this has done has put us back a few steps. We're picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off and it won't stop us going forward. Whoever is responsible will get caught, they will not get away with this."
The Just Giving page is aiming to raise £4,000 to add to the £6,000 that Sam has already offered to the public in reward money. To donate, click here.
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