‘We’ll be back’: Barber’s vow after arson attack
Police are on the hunt for a gang of vandals allegedly caught on camera setting fire to a newly-opened barbershop in Sydney’s west overnight.
Emergency services were called to the Best of Barbers shop at Cecil Hills Shopping Village about 11.30pm on Tuesday after reports of a fire.
CCTV footage obtained by 9News captured the moment three men, dressed in black and wearing face covers, allegedly began their attack.
The men are seen in the video allegedly smashing windows and lobbing bricks at the store, before one unleashes a bucket-full of accelerant.
The trio are then seen standing back and setting fire to the flammable liquid, which explodes into a fireball that rips through the store.
Owner Adnan Hurmiz told Nine the barbershop, one of a handful he ran, had opened only a month before the shocking late-night attack.
“It's just me and my brothers,” Mr Hurmiz told Nine News.
“We own more than one shop, and this is the first time this has happened to us
“This is life, I mean it is up and down. But, we’ll be fixed. We'll be back.”
Fortunately, the fire set off sprinklers inside the store that helped to suppress the blaze before it spread throughout the barbershop.
Forensic police were seen on Wednesday sifting through the wreckage of the store, including a melted bucket possibly used by the attackers.
In a statement, NSW Police said no one was injured in the blaze and that officers were now investigating the circumstances around the fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the blaze was a “great example” of a fire suppressant system working to stop a fire.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Liverpool City Police Area Command or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
