Losing punter blows up betting shop toilet

Gravesend betting shop blown to ‘smithereens’ after punter loses cash then lobs hand grenade into toilet

After backing the tailed-off last 2-1 second favourite Jimmy Jumpsuit, Kent-based gambler Gareth Timms thought he'd teach the bookmakers a lesson they would not forget in a hurry.

While most of his fellow punters are happy to curse, bang the counter or put superglue in the locks to the shop door on Grand National day, the unemployed former panel beater, Timms, 31 from Gravesend, went a step further.

He blew up the bookies by lobbing a fragmentation grenade into the shop toilet.

(Above) Stock image - 'a typical betting shop toilet'Angry Timms told the Scutter: “I've had enough of these bookmakers. After four tailed off second favourites I couldn't take it anymore. I blew that shitole to smithereens.”

While the explosion turned the shop to dust, nobody – other than manager Keith Vim who suffered minor burns trying to save his Self Service Betting Terminals – was seriously injured.

Mushroom Cloud

Mavis Cartwright living opposite the betting shop told police she saw a mushroom cloud of smoke, then heard a loud boom that broke a window and blew betting slips into her lounge.

“I'd just put the telly on to watch that Nick Knowles knock some wood about and then boom! This loud bang terrifies the shit outa me. I've jump at loud noises ever since I was in the Blitz. So I hears this bang and had flashbacks and I shouts to our Terry, 'Get down Tel. The Germans! The Germans are comin!' Then we saw the mushroom cloud an our Tel sez leave it out dosey cow its the bettin shop"

Although firefighters battled all night to extinguish the blaze, they were unable to save the betting emporium on High Street, Gravesend.

Fireman, Dik Venom said: “We were called out to the blaze in the late hours of the evening after reports of a man blowing up the the betting shop toilet.

“If they don’t stop conning everyone with these blatantly obvious beaten favourites, one day someone will get hurt.”

Don't Miss

Bookmaker arrested for turning dog kennel into betting shop

Man spends entire lockdown trapped in betting shop