Mystery fire destroys TikTok-famous takeaway hated by locals over gangs of feral yobs – just hours after it reopened

STREET vendors were preparing for the busiest day of the week when disaster struck at their neighbouring takeaway – a notorious hotspot for antisocial youths, thanks to TikTok. The Lebanese Grill Express in Clerkenwell, Central London, has become hated by its neighbours over yobs peeing on streets, throwing fireworks, and getting into brawls. A takeaway place which attracted dozens of rowdy youth each night burnt down on Thursday Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd Around 80 firefighters were called to the scene in the early hours of Thursday morning Credit: SWNS The takeaway, which has attracted hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, is blamed for turning the street into the “Wild West” and neighbours have been “desperate” for it to close. But now mystery surrounds a fire that has destroyed the premises. But residents and market-goers were shocked to see the site – which had reopened just a day before following a court-ordered closure – surrounded by dozens of firefighters putting out the embers of a sudden dawn blaze on Thursday morning. Emergency services were called to the scene at 5.42am on July 16 following reports of smoke on the premises. Around 80 firefighters tackled the fire, with the operation taking just over three hours and leading to partial road closures. The Lebanese Grill Express gained popularity after blowing up on TikTok Credit: SWNS The shop had reopened just a day before the blaze, following a temporary court-ordered closure Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd The blaze ripped damaged the entire ground floor, as well as the first and second floors and loft extension Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd Residents living next to Lebanese Grill Express said diners caused chaos Credit: SWNS The entire shawarma shop, part of the first and second floors, as well as a loft extension were destroyed in the blaze. Seven residents escaped the property and multiple other houses on the street were evacuated. Shane Sutton, 33, a general manager at the nextdoor pub, said: “I got a phone call around 9.50am, that there’d been a fire. “The boss said to come to work anyway. “But when I arrived and said ‘Can I get to my pub?’ the police said no one was allowed into the area.” The manager said the flames reportedly shot through the vent in the kitchen all the way to the roof, leaving the chimney bricks and part of the nextdoor property completely charred. “I’ve met the owner a couple of times but never spoken with him,” said Shane. “I saw him walking up and down the street taking photos later in the day. “But no one really knows what happened.” The takeaway spot had become a popular hangout for teens, with locals reporting huge throngs of youth in the street and excessive noise and disruption into the early hours. Litter was also an issue, with boxes, napkins and cutlery frequently seen strewn across the pavement or overflowing from bins the following morning. The takeaway became famous on TikTok for its cheap shawarmas Credit: SWNS General manager Shane Sutton said crowds of youngsters buying food from the grill damaged the tiles on his pub Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd The shawarma shop became a hit for serving huge budget-friendly portions of meat with salad, rice and chips Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd Residents frequently complained of teens leaving litter in the area each night Credit: SWNS “My wall tiles used to get damaged and windows smashed,” said Shane. “People would come and take music videos. “You’d get big groups of kids outside the pub – it was intimidating. It would put people off visiting.” On opening in 2021, the takeaway shop became a hit on social media for serving huge portions of meat with salad, rice and chips for a low price, with the top video reaching over 600,000 views on TikTok. Complaints about noise, pollution and littering soon flooded in, however, leading to a community meeting between the owner and residents. Locals said deliveries to the shop used to begin at 5.30am and would continue into the early hours. One woman, who wished to remain anonymous and lives on the Bourne Estate said: “You only have two hours to sleep, if you can.” “I can’t sleep. I’m exhausted. “At 9am the smoke starts. At 11am they open their doors. From then until 1am – 14 to 15 hours – we have the smoke.” Kelly Chatfield said the road closure on the morning of the fire hugely affected her business Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd The Met had enforced a temporary closure following reports of antisocial behaviour on the premises Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd Craig Roberts said the cause of the fire was not known Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd The owner of the grill was reportedly seen taking photographs of the damage the following day Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd She added: “At around six o’clock is when the fun starts: fights, vehicles playing loud music, urinating, and eating on top of cars. “Residents can’t even send their children to Sainsbury’s. It isn’t safe for our kids anymore. It’s like the Wild West. “These people have ruined my life. My peace and tranquillity are gone. The disruption is always happening.” The Met Police enforced a temporary closure under the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 earlier in July following a surge of complaints. The grill reopened last week – but was devastated by the blaze just a day later. For street vendors starting work early that day, the fire had a huge impact on business as police blocked public access to the vicinity. Kelly Chatfield, 42, who runs a Korean Fried Chicken stand on Leather Lane, said the road closure led to a noticeable loss in footfall. “The whole road was cut off when we arrived,” she said. “We had a massive loss of earnings – Thursdays are our busiest days. “The market manager was very helpful – he tried to move us to a different pitch but it was difficult with our setup. She added: “We’re really curious to know what happened – there’s definitely a story there!” Assistant vendor Craig Roberts, 26, arrived earlier than Kelly and her husband Steve that day – only to find hordes of people gathering on the lane. “The fire had been put out when I arrived,” he said. “Lots of people were there looking very confused – just like me.” Kelly added that the types of people who used to gather outside the grill tended to be teenagers and rappers making music videos in the street. “It was a strange crowd who used to gather there,” she said. “It had a cult following of teens – nice kids though. “They didn’t usually know why they were there either! They’d just seen it on TikTok.” An employee at a coffee shop not far from the grill said: “I heard a street cleaner initially spotted smoke coming from the building. “It was slow at first but then got more and more dramatic.” “People were only allowed out, but most weren’t allowed back after they’d left the area. “We couldn’t open until lunchtime – it wasn’t great for business at all. “I have no idea what the cause of the fire was, I wouldn’t want to guess.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters tackled a fire at a shop with dwellings above on Leather Lane in Clerkenwell. “The fire destroyed a ground floor shop and the roof of the building, as well as a loft extension. Half of the first floor and part of the second floor were damaged by the fire. “Seven residents left the properties of the three-storey building before the Brigade arrived and firefighters evacuated the neighbouring properties as a precaution. There are no reports of any injuries. “Two of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders were deployed to the scene to help fight the fire from above. “The Brigade’s Control Office was first called at 0542 and mobilised crews from Soho, Euston, Islington and other surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was under control by 0851. “The cause of the fire is under investigation.” Lebanese Express Grill was contacted for comment.