AFTER three burglaries, a pandemic and a fire — one Sandown businessman hopes his new shop will be the fresh start he needs.

Gamal Ragheb has had more than his fair share of bad luck at his shop Zest, but he has decided to go bigger and better and has opened a new shop, Twist.

In a more prominent position near the top of the High Street, Gamal is selling his popular tourist gifts, beach goods, and vaping equipment and hopes people will pop in and wish him luck in the new venue.

He said: "After three break ins, all the Covid-19 lockdowns and then the fire at the Ocean Hotel, in the same building as my shop Zest, it was the final nail in the coffin for me.

"The back of the shop needed repairing and is still leaking when we get rain, and as everyone knows, the site is in a bad way since the fire.

"I couldn’t wait for another disaster to happen so I had to take it into my own hands and find another premises and continue my journey. It is a journey that I enjoy, as I love living and trading in Sandown."

Isle of Wight County Press:

Most of the stock at Zest was damaged by water ingress after the Ocean Hotel fire.

No one was ever charged with the burglaries at Zest and Gamal's insurance premiums were raised following the repeated targetting.