Police are hunting two men after a string of arson attacks on stores in the Archway area of London.
Costcutter store manager Shafiq Subhabi and his wife Sadia became the latest victims when their store was gutted by flames in a shocking attack last week.
It was the second time in six months that their store had been targeted. The incident took place just two days before it was due to re-open following a previous arson attack in March.
It had undergone an extensive refurbishment programme which cost thousands of pounds. "Someone obviously doesn't want us to open," said Shafiq. "However, we refuse to be defeated."
The police are searching for two men spotted at the scene just a few minutes before the blaze took hold. The pair are believed to have broken into the vacant flat above the store before setting it alight.
Khalid Javed's store, which is opposite the Costcutter store, was also attacked by arsonists in March. The fire gutted the store, which was busy with customers at the time, and injured his wife who was trapped in the flat upstairs.