Johnstone takeaway owner devastated after shop goes up in flames

Shortly before 6am on Sunday morning, Doreen Clark received a phone call informing her that her shop ‘Aldo’s Hot and Cold Food’ was on fire.

The 57-year-old has been running the takeaway in Johnstone for eight years, after deciding to take over the business, which first opened more than 40 years ago.

Doreen said: “The shop is my total livelihood; it means everything to me. I’ve put my heart and soul into it.

“I got a phone call telling me that the shop was on fire. I felt absolutely sick, I was standing there watching it not knowing whether the flames had got inside at that point.

“The fire was right beside a mains gas pipe for the flats above and I was worried sick about the neighbours upstairs.

“The firemen were there very, very quickly, and I arrived in time to give them a key to get in. Luckily, the fire didn’t spread inside as it had been put under control.”

Neighbours evacuated their homes due to the blaze. Meanwhile, the store’s shutters, window and sign were severely damaged, and some of the electrics were burnt out.

Doreen added: “It’s bad enough as it is with the cost-of-living crisis just now. Everything’s gone up in price, and I'm trying to keep my prices the same.

“This has set me back because I have lost a lot of custom through it. I’m gutted.”

Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) say they are still working to establish the cause of the fire.

Doreen, who is from Johnstone, believes three youngsters who were captured on CCTV hanging around the area at the time of the fire may have information that could assist the investigation.

She added: “We now know that three bins had been pushed against the shutter and they had been set alight, which then caught on to the shutters.”

Following the fire, Doreen received a lot of support from her customers and managed to work around the clock to reopen the store on Wednesday.

She added: “I know the customers very well and they have all been rallying around, popping in to see me and see if they can help in any way. They’ve really, really pulled together to try and offer assistance. I’ve had so many messages from them.”

An SFRS spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 5.45am on Sunday, November 13, to reports of a fire on Ellerslie Street, Johnstone.

“Operations control mobilised two appliances to the scene, where firefighters worked to extinguish rubbish on fire against a three-storey building and they made the area safe before leaving.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson added: “We are currently liaising with the SFRS to establish the cause of the fire.”