A Scots restaurant forced out of business after a string of fire attacks has been snapped up for £458,000 at auction.
The former Italian eatery San Vincenzo in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, was closed by owner Vincent Marini. Mr Marini said he was a victim of a 'targeted campaign' and 'sustained effort' to drive him out of business.
Marini had put the restaurant up for sale in 2020 but removed it from the market after failing to find a buyer despite slashing the price.
READ MORE: Bothwell restaurant ransacked after thugs drive car through window
Following an auction the building has now been snapped up by a mystery developer.
The figure is three times the original minimum opening bid of £150,000 after 207 offers were made before the hammer came down.
A source said: "Even with all the recent history with the building it still presents a great opportunity for someone to come in and give it a go.
"It's no wonder the price shot up as the auction neared the end because the building is in a great location."
Sellers Auction House Scotland described the property as a 'fantastic commercial development' but warned of extensive internal damage due to the fires.
They added: "The internal accommodation has been extensively fire damaged and vandalised throughout and requires a full programme of works to return to its former glory.
"This is an exciting opportunity for an investor/developer to undertake the required works and create a fabulous business within a prestigious catchment area."
The restaurant had been repeatedly targeted in a series of terrifying incidents.
In June this year, emergency services raced to the restaurant for a fifth time after a car was found engulfed in flames outside.
The blaze caused minor damage after spreading to the exterior of the building.
In March police and the fire service were called just before midnight amid reports of a blaze.
Shortly before the Italian eatery was forced to close in October 2019, a red Vauxhall Corsa was driven through a large window of the building before being set on fire.
Massive 50ft flames leapt from the property as horrified locals watched on.
Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused as the devastating blow came months after a separate incident in September 2019, when another vehicle was torched outside the property.
In June of that year a pick-up truck was captured on CCTV as it smashed through a window straight into the restaurant before speeding off.
Back in March 2020, Marini claimed there was a 'sustained effort' to drive him out of business and he posted on Facebook, 'Sadly, they won'
He tried to sell the restaurant for £600,000 before the price was knocked down later that year to £500,000.
Last year Marini also claimed a London-based hitman had been hired to kill him.
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