Stretton Tobacconist, Runcorn rammed by car, torched in suspicious incident

A tobacconist south of Brisbane has been destroyed and neighbouring shops damaged after a car ploughed into the business and was set on fire with four people on the run.

Initial investigations indicate four offenders drove a silver Mazda BT50 through the front doors of Stretton Tobacconist on Condamine St in Runcorn, before setting the vehicle alight about 1.30am.

A group of people are on the run after ploughing a car through a shop and setting it on fire in a horrific incident at a tobacconist south of Brisbane.

Initial investigations indicate four offenders drove a silver Mazda BT50 through the front doors of Stretton Tobacconist on Condamine St in Runcorn, before setting the vehicle alight about 1.30am.

The store front was completed destroyed with parts of the roof of both the tobacconist and the neighbouring shops collapsed.

The four offenders fled the scene after lighting the car on fire.

The fire was contained and no one was inside the business at the time.

Initial investigations indicate four offenders drove a silver Mazda BT50 through the front doors of Stretton Tobacconist on Condamine St in Runcorn, before setting the vehicle alight about 1.30am.

Charred debris from the fire remained on the footpath with most of the roller door destroyed.

An alarm continued to blare from the store front with employees from the neighbouring shops, including a Subway Restaurant not allowed into their store.

Neighbouring shop owner Jijo Paul said he got the call last night from police about 2:30am where he arrived to see the burnt out car still in the front of the shop.

“I’m feeling pretty bad,” Mr Paul said.

“We had to come in, not only me I think most of the shop owners here came (last night).”

“That’s why I asked to come back in the morning to see what happened … and see the smoke damage.”

A neighbouring shop owner Jijo Paul said he got the call last night from police at about 2:30am where he arrived to see the burnt out car still in the front of the shop.

Mr Paul has owned his restaurant Lemon Chillies Indian for a decade and said he had never seen anything like this happen before.

“We’ve had lots of break ins (in that time) maybe seven or eight, but not something like this,” he said.

“It was pretty scary.”

He said the tobacconist had only been at the complex for a month.

Mr Paul has sustained smoke damage to the roof of his shop, which has led to a power outage.

The shop in between Mr Paul’s and the tobacconist had its front door smashed in, with glass covering the store front.

A Subway employee who arrived for work this morning was shocked to find the tobacconist store front destroyed.

“I just turned up and was told by police we weren’t allowed in,” he said.

“We’ve had some break ins in the past but not anything this bad.”

Several police officers remained on scene, including one wearing protective gear.

A crime scene has been declared and investigations are ongoing.

Police are appealing to anyone who was in the vicinity of the business with CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.