A WEST Oxford delicatessen has been forced to close for Christmas by an arson attack just months after it was affected by the floods.

Eggs Eggsetera, in Botley Road, has had to shut its doors at the busiest time of the year, following the fire early on Saturday..

Owner Joe Devlin, who lives in West Oxford, said: "It has caused quite a considerable amount of damage.

"A fire was lit at the back of the shop and has gone into the roof of an office. There is a lot of smoke damage in the shop.

"Part of the roof will need to be redone and we won't be able to reopen for some time. It's unlikely we'll be open again before Christmas."

While the extent of the damage is not yet known, Mr Devlin said it would cost thousands of pounds to repair - and it was likely all the shop's stock would have to be thrown out due to potential contamination, which could cost up to £16,000, plus £7,000 to replace ruined refrigeration units.

He said: "While it doesn't look too bad in the actual shop itself, the store room, office and kitchen - which is the main functional place for a shop like this - is badly damaged.

"We are devastated. It's 15 days before Christmas and even if we could get the repairs done, replacing the stock and in particular the Christmas stock is probably not going to be possible.

"We've got lots of nice bottles of wine and it will be a shame that they will all have to go, but there is a risk that things could be contaminated and we can't take that risk.

"My wife and I have been here for 22 years and we have never had anything like this before. We were badly affected by Botley Road being closed during the floods, so it's not been a very good year - but we are confident we will make it through this."

While insurance will cover some of the cost, it is unlikely to make up for lost trading time.

Barry Wheatley, chairman of the Oxfordshire Federation of Small Businesses, said: "Disasters like this are critical to small businesses and it is very difficult to recover from such a thing. Our thoughts go out to them, particularly at this time of year.

"This time of year is when most retail businesses make their margins to cover them for the rest of the year, so to be out of business now is going to be critical to the company."

He urged businesses to prepare disaster recovery plans for any eventuality which could devastate their livelihoods.

Three fire crews dealt with the blaze. Anyone with information is asked to call police on 08458 505505.