A Bradford businessman today revealed that at first he had no intention of re-opening his fish and chip shop after it was destroyed in a fireball car crash that claimed the lives of four young men.

Killinghall Fisheries, in Killinghall Road, Laisterdyke, was engulfed in flames after a stolen Subaru Impreza veered off the road during a 100mph chase and became lodged in the front wall of the building, igniting gas pipes, in the early hours of December 11, 2008.

Chip shop owner Mohammed Shaban, 34, insists he was not angry about what happened but said he was very distressed by the events.

Out of respect for the dead, he said he was originally looking to re-open his business elsewhere.

But he said his search for appropriate facilities proved fruitless and, after former customers urged him to come back, Killinghall Fisheries had now re-opened in completely rebuilt premises on the same site.

Father-of-four Mr Shaban said he wanted to explain his reasons for the decision so not to offend the families of those who died in the tragedy.

He said: “I feel sorry for the parents. There were flowers here every time I came up to the shop. I’ve got children myself and it’s haunted me.

“I wasn’t going to build it again, I had to have it entirely knocked down. But the residents, every time I was round here, pushed me. They missed the food. There’s families who don’t have cars and the nearest chip shop is about a mile away.

“I was jobless and struggling financially. The insurance company took until July to sort out my money. I had a mortgage to pay and my workers were struggling. There were three of them. Two have now come back, but I helped them find new jobs. For me and my family, it was a lot of stress.

“The families of those who died will probably wonder why I opened again and I want to explain it wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I had to think very hard about it.”

James McClusky, 21, Craig James, 17, Robert Lynn, 16, and Thomas Tilleard, 15, all from Bradford, died in the crash.