Owner of Sydney petrol station makes desperate plea after vandals' shocking act

A Sydney business owner has hit out at a group of three young men he claims vandalised his petrol station.

Ali Faraz, who owns Haberfield Metro Servo in Sydney's west, made a desperate plea on Facebook on Monday after accusing the men of stealing part of a sign.

"A group of youths tried to enter the shop in the servo, and then they stole a letter of sign 'WORLD BURGER'," he wrote.

Mr Faraz shared CCTV of the three young men he believes are responsible for the damage to his business, although the footage does not show them breaking anything.

"I don't think it's cool," he said.

What followed was a heartfelt open letter to the "young fellas" caught on camera.

"Sooner or later, you're going to start a job in this community. Those businesses that are struggling right now like us may be options for you to consider working for," Mr Faraz wrote.

"FYI, we collect one dollar by one dollar to pay our rent, materials, wages, council, etc. If we are lucky, we get some money for our family (that hasn't happened yet).

"Please do not steal from us as we can not afford it," he added.

Mr Faraz said two such incidents have occurred at his service station in the last month.

"There will be no job opportunities for anyone if everyone does what you do to businesses," he warned.

"I hope you get enough money from your dad to start something big. Nevertheless, I'm certain you won't want others to do what you did to us to you."

His post has garnered support from locals who condemned the youngsters for their alleged act.

• Cafe owner breaks down on national television: 'Cannot survive'

• Frustrated Aussie boss criticises Queen's public holiday: 'Angry and over it'

• 'On our knees': Melbourne cafe owner's heartbreaking plea after Covid

"Looks like plenty of detail in those videos to go to the police — hope they can be identified," one person commented.

"Terrible...hope these clowns get caught," another said.

It's not known if Mr Faraz has reported the incident to police.

Yahoo News Australia understands Burwood Police have no record of the incident.

Struggling Aussie businesses

Mr Faraz's petrol station is one of many small Aussie businesses that have been struggling since the start of the Covid pandemic.

In July, a Queensland restaurant owner hit back after a scathing review slamming the service, which she said was "unjustified" and "unfair".

Patricia Smith from Mount Coolum, in the Sunshine Coast Region, has owned Beloporto Noosa Burger Bar since January 2020, but says the past two years have been stressful.

With Covid-19, housing shortages, rental price hikes and inflated produce prices, Ms Smith told Yahoo News Australia her business has suffered and insists they're "doing the best we can".

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.