To kids who tried to set fire to my restaurant ..Want a job?
Forgiving owner won’t press charges if culprits agree to take up challenge
A BUSINESSMAN has offered an unusual reward after a failed arson attack on his restaurant – a job for the pair of would-be firebugs.
William Bird held out his olive branch after the incident at the Fennel Restaurant in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.
Emergency services called to the scene on Sunday night extinguished the fire before any serious damage was done.
In a remarkable Facebook post, owner William wrote: “To the two young lads who tried to set a fire at Fennel tonight, I’m offering you a job.
“Come see inside, what we do, the real lives of the men and women who work here, whose livelihoods depend on what we do, the innocent diners, locals you put at risk.
“I don’t give a f*** what your issue is. I have bigger fish to fry … so, if you’re ballsy enough to do what you did earlier, you’re ballsy enough to take up my challenge.
“I dare you, come work for me. It’s not for the faint-hearted, takes something pretty special. Think you’re up to it, gentlemen?”
William believes the culprits were in a group of children aged about 13 or 14.
He said yesterday: “Maybe these kids have not got anything better to do.
“There was not any major risk, although who knows what could have happened.”
William added that if the pair, who were captured on camera, are caught by police, he’d rather see them make amends than face charges.
He explained: “We’d much rather give these youngsters an opportunity to see what’s on the other side of that wall where they started the fire, look people in the eye, take a little bit of consequence, fronting up.
“We live in a social media age and some of the comments blew me away – ‘Hang ‘em high’, ‘Name-and-shame’, ‘Put their pictures out’.
“I thought, ‘Really, if that was your kid who has just made a bad choice and gone out and done something stupid, would you really want them plastered over social media?’”
William appealed to the young people involved: “We’ve a really good team, so come and see what happens and be part of it rather than being on the outside getting your kicks out of destroying someone else’s property.
“Rather than have a juvenile record or get into trouble at school, let’s do a deal – this can all go away and you can come in here and work alongside those people you put at risk.”
William added: “The easiest thing in the world would be for us to wash our hands of it and for people to get in trouble – but I don’t think that leads anywhere useful.
“All my businesses have a social conscience. We’ve done a lot of fundraising for the homeless. We’re trying to give people a hand up.”
Police Scotland said: “A report was made in relation to a wilful fire-raising at Fennel Restaurant, Burn Lane, Inverurie, on Sunday.
“Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101.”
Rather than have a juvenile record or get into trouble at school, let’s do a deal WILLIAM BIRD