Livingston club owner claims attacks are 'to drive him out'

A NIGHTCLUB owner believes someone is trying to drive him out of business after his premises were set on fire for the second time in three months.

Franco Cortellessa is offering a 5000 reward after fire and smoke badly damaged the Grand Central club in Livingston.

Mr Cortellessa said he only opened the club a year ago and said it had been "doing really well".

Fire crews were called to the blaze at around 5.15am yesterday after a passer-by noticed smoke coming from the building.

The damage was minimal in the end and the club should reopen tonight.

Mr Cortellessa said: "It has been arson, it was petrol. We just opened a year ago but this is the second time in two months there has been a fire.

"We are going to offer a big reward for an arrest because we want it finally done."

He added that the fire had been started "in the same way as the last one" and suspected that the same people were behind it.

Managers and bar staff were all at the scene next to Livingston North train station to help clear up yesterday. Mr Cortellessa said: "We will be open. We have got joiners and electricians here to start working."

Outside the club lay the remains of tables, chairs and wall insulation all damaged by smoke, and a strong smell of petrol was in the air.

A sniffer dog that specialises in detecting accelerants had been drafted in from Central Scotland fire service to help with the investigation.

Mr Cortellessa said his club had suffered a lot of smoke damage but that the fire had only affected one corner of the room.

A police spokesman said: "Police are investigating a suspicious fire that broke out at the Grand Central club in Carmondean Road, in the Deans area of Livingston, earlier today.

"The fire broke out around 5am this morning and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time, who noticed any suspicious activity, to contact police immediately.

"Anyone else with information that can assist our inquires should also get in touch."

In January, the Evening News reported how both the Grand Central club and the Minerva Food Bar, also owned by Mr Cortellessa, were deliberately set on fire within hours of each other, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

At the time it was reported that a gang of youths was responsible after CCTV images from both premises caught them on camera.