South Shields bar boss speaks after venue targeted in petrol bomb attack

Police were called to The Prosecco Lounge on King George Road in South Shields after a brick was hurled through a glass pane at around 12.15am yesterday.

It was followed by a petrol bomb.

Luckily, the bar, which was known as the White Ensign, was closed and no one was inside at the time.

A police cordon could be seen around the building yesterday morning while a team of forensics officers carried out their investigations.

To the side of the building a smashed pane of glass was visible.

The attack is said to have caused minor damage to its interior, furniture and bar area.

Manager Rofman Ahmed said he was keen to have the place cleaned up and open for his customers.

Bosses planned to open the doors as usual at 5pm last night.

He said: “We have no idea why anyone would do anything like this. It seems to be a random attack.

“The bar has been open now for about 10 months now and it’s a popular bar.

“What happened has damaged the interior and the bar area.

“We were keen to have everything cleaned up so we could open as usual for our customers.”

Police say inquiries are ongoing and are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.

Extra patrols are now being put in place to reassure residents who may have concerns.

Detective Inspector Sean Mcguigan, of Southern CID at Northumbria Police, said: “A full investigation is on-going to identify those responsible for this arson but we do need anyone with information to get in touch.

“Thankfully nobody was in the premises at the time so there were no injuries.

“The object burnt out very quickly and so there is only minor damage to the inside of the premises.

“The owners are obviously quite shaken by this unprovoked incident and we are now working with them to try and establish the reasons as to why they may have been targeted.”

Police are appealing for people who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the arson to call them on 101.

Callers are asked to quote log number 16 19/06/17.

People can also call Crimestoppers with information on 0800 555 111.