Century-Old Family Firm Destroyed In Blaze

The owner of a 100-year family business destroyed in a huge blaze has told Sky News of "lives destroyed."

A huge blaze gutted furniture business Reeves in Croydon, south of London, which was torched on Monday night as violence spread across the capital.

Owner Trevor Reeves told Sky News: "It has just provided my family and the 15 or 20 staff and families that were supported, it's just completely destroyed.

"Words fail me. It's just gone, it's five generations. My father is distraught at the moment. It's just mindless thuggery."

His brother Graham added: "Our lives are destroyed, it will probably be someone else next week. It's horrendous, 35 years I have been down here."

He said the business was established in 1867, but he now had "nothing."

He added: "Everything is just gone, we have just got nothing left. I was in the Brixton riots but this is worse. My life is destroyed."