Lancashire Granite in Leyland are continuing to trade after the owner, Leo Tommoni, was duct-taped to a fence and his new showroom set alight.

With the telephones and computers not working, Leo fears that customers might have gained the impression that Lancashire Granite had ceased trading. He says that is not the case and that his telephones and emails should have been reconnected by the time NSS was published (01772 459796 / lggranite@lggranite.co.uk). He asks anyone who has any trouble contacting him to use his mobile number (077174 437040).

He had only opened his showroom with its displays of granite worktops and furniture in kitchen room sets late last year and says the fire has caused damage worth £500,000.

The balaclava-wearing attackers took Leo back into his premises at knifepoint as he was locking up on the evening of 16 December. They made him turn off the alarms before they took him outside to the back of the premises and duct-taped him to a fence. "I was sure they were going to kill me. I have two sons, a daughter and a wife and I believed I might never see them again," he said afterwards.

He says his attackers disconnected a gas pipe and put some kind of incendiary device next to it. The masked men waved to him as they left then, says Leo, he saw "a flash of orange" and his premises burst into flames. A passer-by called the fire service, but did not see Leo, who was eventually released by the firemen, who also called the police. Thanks to the passer-by the workshops with their CNC machinery survived and Lancashire Granite have continued working. "We are still fulfilling our orders," says Leo.

If anyone has any information they should call the police on Tel: 01772 415947 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.