THE flagship store and factory of a Bradford based gelato restaurant chain will be open in the “next two to three weeks” followed an arson attack earlier this year.

Icestone Gelato, saw its store in Great Horton Road and Springmill Street factory gutted by arson attacks causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage on Christmas Eve 2016.

Now Paul Morris, director of operations at Icestone Gelato, has issued a message to customers saying the store will be back trading again soon.

Prior to the attack the Great Horton Road store had been refurbished to the cost of £200,000 and “quite a few hundred thousand pounds” spent on new equipment in the factory.

Mr Morris said: “I want to let our customers know within the next two to three weeks we will be reopening our Great Horton Road store.

“It has had a brand new revamp similar to our Huddersfield store, which has recently been voted the best store in Huddersfield town centre.

“Hopefully our customers will be happy with our new look, and we will have promotions on offer when we reopen.”

Icestone Gelato put up a £50,000 reward for information leading to a conviction, but Mr Morris said there has been no new updates regarding the arson.

After the attack took place, Mr Morris put the attack down to jealousy, and the cost of the repairs and refurbishments has left the company with a £1 million bill.

He said: “The fires cost £500,000 in damage and it will cost a further £500,000 to refurbish the shop and get the factory warehouse back on its feet.

“What can we put it down to? Jealousy.”

During the arsons, a mother and her young children living in a flat above the store had to make a hasty escape, and a lone worker at the factory also had to flee after initially hiding upstairs as he thought a loud bang he heard was a burglar.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We still believe these incidents are linked and would ask anyone who saw suspicious activity around the premises in Springmill Street or Great Horton Road in the early hours of 24 December to contact Bradford District CID on 101, quoting log number 286 of December 24, or to call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”