Off-licence owner spends thousands rebuilding his business

Only days ago Kulbir Kapoor's shop resembled a war zone.

Today he said that he had noticed a new respect amongst his customers since the riots.

He was powerless to stop a group of 200 thugs who ripped off the shop's steel shutters and smashed the door and windows. He has spent £3,000 replacing them.

The 31-year-old Sikh, who moved to London from Delhi at the age of 16, said he replaced the shutters the day after the riots. "We worried that the broken shutter would lure people back."
Mr Kapoor was one of 500 Sikhs who went to the Sikh temple in Southall to guard it from rioters on last Tuesday night.

He said: "Our community is very strong. Even in the riots we were all together. In Clapham Junction there was nothing like that."

He said: "Some of them are very sad and very sorry for what happened. They are very polite now and much more calm. People used not to like shopkeepers much but now they feel sorry for us."

He added: "I want to show them [the rioters] that I am not beaten but I want to be quiet so that they do not attack me.

"In six years I have never seen anything like this.

"I am now closing earlier to avoid trouble. We also have less customers at the moment as people are scared to be out after 9pm. I've lost about £4,000 in reduced takings in the last week. I don't know how long it will take to get back to normal.

It's these 20-25 year-olds, it is just a game to them.

"I'm going to make sure there's more security on my shutters."

When asked whether he agreed with David Cameron's proposed crackdown on gang culture Mr Kapoor said: "Politicians say so many things but they don't do nothing."

The married father-of-two said that his local council appeared to "know nothing" regarding proposed reductions in council rates for businesses to help them cope with the affect on their business.

Mr Kapoor said: "I am trying to be very safe now. Life is what matters more than money. I'm still a bit shocked at the moment. I thought I was in the safest country in the world. I still can't believe it."