THE owner of a fireworks shop which was targeted by a gang has warned the public of the dangers of buying them from unlicensed sellers.


A determined group of three or four men, thought to be organised criminals, tried to break into the store in St James's Street, Walthamstow, at around 1am on Tuesday (October 23).
 

They used crowbars and other tools to smash through two sets of doors at the rear of the building before manager George Farah, 24, held them back at the third and final doorway.
 

At the time, Mr Farah was resting in a back room after a day unpacking stock when he was woken by the voices of the men in the next room.

"It was horrible. If they had managed to get through I could have been in a lot of trouble because they had all these tools with them," he said.


"I pushed against the door and shouted I was calling police which scared them off empty-handed.


"The damage was incredible. They'd ripped up a metal door and smashed another one so hard it broke a lock on the other side."


Mr Farah and business partner Bassam Gilini, who runs several 'pop-up' fireworks shops in north London, said criminal gangs were targeting such businesses because of a booming black market trade.


Mr Farah, who has invested his life savings in the store, said: "We had a handyman come to fix some of the damage and he said it was the third fireworks shop break-in he'd been called to that week. It's a big problem."


Mr Gilini added: "There are very strict regulations about selling fireworks and their storage. Even the slightest damage or jolt could unbalance them and make them dangerous.


"There are criminals selling them on but they don't know how to store them properly. The consequences of buying illegal fireworks can be devastating.


"Shops like ours being targeted is a huge problem but many people aren't aware.

"I run them every year and nine out of ten of them get broken into".


Mr Farah has now employed security guards and installed other measures in an attempt to avoid a repeat raid.


“Gangs know they can make a lot of money from these fireworks. They're not teenagers, these are organised groups,” added Mr Gilini.


The Guardian is awaiting a comment from Waltham Forest Police but there are no reports of any arrests.