Cornish terror group claims responsibility for fire at Rick Stein's restaurant

A Cornish terror group has claimed responsibility for firebombing a restaurant owned by Rick Stein, claiming it is part of a campaign for Cornish independence.

The Cornish Republican Army (CRA), dubbed the ‘Ooh R A’, says it carried out the attack in June as part of a renewed campaign to prevent the “ethnic cleansing of the people of Kernow” and also said it has a member who is “prepared to pay the ultimate price in the battle for Kernow”.

Rick Stein’s restaurant in Porthleven was badly damaged in the early hours of June 12 after a lean-to bin store housing three gas cylinders was set alight. Firefighters said the blaze was just 15 minutes from destroying the restaurant.

Investigations into the cause of the blaze are ongoing and arson has not yet been ruled out.

The group that has claimed responsibility was formerly known as the Cornish National Liberation Army (CNLA), but has been dormant for over a decade and was believed to have been disbanded.

In an official blog it announced a name change and made a series of chilling threats, saying: “Our organisation has grown and we now have one member who is prepared to pay the ultimate price in the battle for Kernow. She is prepared to sacrifice herself although we shall not ask for this lightly – only as a last measure.”

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The group also claimed it had started two other recent fires in Truro and Penryn and said it now has 30 volunteers who are operating in Active Service Units (ASU) to bring about Cornish independence.

It claimed that ‘activities’ against Stein and Jamie Oliver – who also has a restaurant in Cornwall – have now ceased but vowed to target the second homes of wealthy English people and the authorities of what it calls the “English Imperial System” or EIS.

The statement said: “We have ceased activities against Stein and Oliver, but our activities against second and expensive English owned homes will continue.

“We also intend to target those authorities including the EIS police who victimise Cornish people. What have we to fear or lose – nothing.

“The English have never allowed freedom to any peoples without a fight and although we understand those who believe that freedom can be won through democracy or political means, we do not accept this.

“What has really been won this past 50 years? – nothing other than an ethnic cleansing of the people of Kernow.”