Hebden Bridge take away hit by floods re-opens

Paradise, on New Road in Hebden Bridge town centre, was badly damaged when water started gushing in during the flood that devasted the town on June 22 last year.

The family firm’s stock was destroyed, the building was left water-logged and some equipment was ruined.

Owner Mohammed Sikander said they had been working when the flood started but were forced to leave when the water filled the cellar and then started pouring into the main shop.

“The cellar was full of water and it came up three or four inches inside the shop,” he said.

He and his staff have had to carry out a major operation to get the take away open again.

Mr Sikander said: “We’ve have to remove everything and do everything from scratch -all the tiling, all the floor.

“I’ve had the shop for nearly two years and while we were doing the work, customers have been walking past and asking when we were going to be open again.

“We didn’t want to open a shop somewhere else, it wouldn’t have been the same.”

Mayor of Hebden Royd Christine Davenport was invited to officially re-open the take away.

Mr Sikander said their first customers on their re-opening night included a woman who had been their last customer before they were forced to shut on the night of the flood.