Restaurant fire linked to past arson attack

9:00am Tuesday 15th January 2008

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A FIRE attack which has wrecked an upmarket Hampshire restaurant is being linked to an arson attempt two weeks ago, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The Granary in Titchfield, which featured on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares just before Christmas, was destroyed in a blaze on Saturday morning just a fortnight after an unsuccessful attempt was made to burn it down.

Last night police confirmed they believed the two incidents were linked.

CCTV footage has revealed someone throwing an incendiary device, like a Molotov cocktail, because broken glass and rags were found after the incident on Saturday, January 5.

Detective Sergeant Steve Spencer, of Gosport CID, said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the fire or saw anything suspicious early on Saturday, January 12.

"We are also keen to hear from anyone who may have any information relating to the attempted arson earlier this month on January 5.

"At this time there is nothing to suggest that these incidents are linked to the television programme in which the restaurant is featured."

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said that they had carried out a full examination of the restaurant. A sniffer dog detected evidence which indicated that it was a suspicious incident.

A dossier of the arson task force's investigations has been handed over to police.

The restaurant was empty at the time and no one was injured. About 60 firefighters tackled the blaze which extensively damaged the restaurant's interior.

The Granary was in the news after it appeared in the Bafta award-winning Channel 4 series Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

The Michelin-starred chef attempted to help the restaurant reverse catastrophic losses of £4,000 a week.