Storm Francis tears roof off Penarth Marina restaurant already damaged by fire
A marina restaurant, previously owned by former Wales footballer Craig Bellamy, has been hit hard by Storm Francis just days after it caught fire.
The Deck at the Penarth Marina near Cardiff had its roof torn off by the storm, with fire crews returning to the restaurant they visited last week after it went up in flames.Dramatic videos showed roofing materials being torn from the building and scattered across Penarth Marina in 70mph gusts.
A witness who was passing at the time that the building was hit by the storm, Martina Morris, said that it was 'heartbreaking to see'.
"It has gone from a lovely restaurant to battered wreck in just a few days," she continued.The Deck had only officially reopened in early August after a major refurbishment, but staff and customers had to be evacuated after it caught fire on Friday.Fire investigators said the cause of the blaze was accidental ignition.Firefighters spent two hours tackling the flames, leaving the restaurant's owners 'absolutely devastated'.In a statement, bosses at The Deck said: "Our team has thrown their heart and soul into getting The Deck launched and open."Our only consolation is that no one was hurt. We cannot thank the team and customers enough for how they handled the difficult and dangerous situation, acting quickly and calmly."Our priority now is to get back open as quickly as we can, though this is likely to take some months, and we will be working with insurers and our landlords to achieve this."
The high-end bar and grill building was owned by former Wales, Liverpool and Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy who bought it for £1.3m six years ago.