A NIGHTCLUB owner has spoken out about the utter devastation of having his business set on fire.

Last week Jordan Schofield was jailed for almost four years after he pleaded guilty to one count of arson and one count of attempted arson on MAC’s nightclub in Burnley.

The town’s Crown Court heard how the 22-year-old, who was 19 at the time of the crimes, had been manipulated into carrying out the attack after being hired to work for a rival venue.

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Prosecutor David Traynor told the court how Schofield first torched the club in September 2019 before going back in November in a bid to carry-out even more damage.

On the second occasion he was caught in the act and arrested.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph after the court case, Andy MacDonald described how he was left feeling sick to the stomach after his business was destroyed.

He said: “We had only been open for two weeks after a complete refurbishment when the fire was set.

“I was called down to the club at 4.30 in the morning and was left feeling sick by what I saw. There was so much devastation.

“At the time I had no idea who would do something like that, and it left me feeling helpless.

"I was left heartbroken by the whole situation. For a while I fell out of love with the industry and the whole thing made me not want to have anything to do with clubs any more.”

Andy, who received national recognition in the summer for setting up a 1p meal initiative in his Preston pub Ships and Giggles, has spent much of the pandemic helping to get meals to those who have fallen on hard times.

He said: “After the second incident, when Jordan was arrested and I started to understand a bit more about what had happened, I became angry and knew I couldn’t let others defeat me."

The pandemic hit shortly after MACs had been targeted, but recent refurbishments have left Andy in a position to open his business once again after Government restrictions are lifted.

Schofield, who also pleaded to one count of going equipped for burglary, was jailed for a total of 47 months by Judge Sara Dodd.

During mitigation, defence barrister Mark Stuart explained how his client, of Compston Avenue, Rawtenstall, had been a 19-year-old of good character at the time of the crime.

He said: “This incident took place during a very low ebb in his life.

“It was against that background, a wrongful wish to appease his employer and a desire to get his mother out of financial difficulties, he agreed to do this.”

Mr Stuart continued: “It is not only out of character but highly unlikely to be repeated.

While it was accepted in court that Scofield was working on behalf of others, no charges have been pressed against anybody else and the investigation has come to a close.