A ROCKET was thrown into a shop setting fire to the premises which sells fireworks and alcohol.

The lit firework was fired into the Lusted Stores in Kusted Hall Lane, Biggin Hill, landing and setting light to stationary and other stock.

The newsagent and general store was open at the time and the owner’s nephew, Jeya Chandran, 25, was inside.

Mr Chandran put the fire out himself and, although unharmed, was left shaken.

He had been working at the shop for only a couple of days as a favour to his uncle. He said: “I am upset and shocked. I always speak nicely to the customers.” Owner, Selliah Maheshwaran, who was at home at the time, said he had just phoned the shop to check everything was all right, when he had a call back telling him what had happened.

Both men called 999 and by the time Mr Maheshwaran made it to the shop, the fire was out. Stock worth £200 to £300 was damaged, including stationary, crisps and chocolate.

The incident happend at about 7pm on Sunday. Mr Maheshwaran said: “We sell fireworks, wine and spirits. If it had hit the cupboard I keep the fireworks in, what would have happened to the people above the shop? Everyone would have gone to hospital and might have lost a bit of their body.”

He continued: “We are a local shop for local people, we don’t serve alcohol or cigarettes to youngsters. That’s their problem with us.”

Mr Maheshwaran said a resident had seen two 14 or 15-year-olds run away through the alley. “We are facing a lot of problems with youngsters. Eggs were thrown at the shop last Friday.”

Mr Maheshwaran said 30 to 40 youngsters regularly gather near the shop.

He believes continual police patrols would solve the problem. “If they do patrol, we don’t see people on the whole. If they don’t, we see more people.

“They get on their mobile phones and come together to cause problems.”

Police and the fire brigade were at the scene. The police stopped youths near the scene but there was nothing to connect them to the incident. It is not known who threw the firework.

A spokesman for the police said: “Obviously we’d like to see more police but there are many patrols in the area.”