A WOMAN has seen her burger van, and dreams of running her own successful takeaway, go up in smoke.

The Mama’s van, which was parked in Moray Road, Elgin Industrial Estate, was gutted in yesterday morning’s blaze, which was believed to have been started deliberately.

Ma-Mi Hartwell said she had already been burgled four times since she opened the business in April and thinks she has been targeted.

“I feel sick. It was my living. I was burgled four times and now this,” said the 52-year-old.

“I have been told by a lot of people that burger vans aren’t doing too well but I was doing extremely well.

“My food is really the talk of the town. They have told me that people who come here have stopped going to other places because of my burgers – they’re home-made.

“I know some of the other burger vans are suffering. I was just going up and up until now.”

Fire crews were alerted to the blaze at about 1.20am and one crew from Stratton attended.

Police are examining CCTV footage of the site.

“I was contacted by police at about 2am and they told me it had been burnt out. I haven’t slept since but I couldn’t face coming here until now,” she said.

Ma-Mi decided to start the business after being unemployed for two years.

“I had my own finance company and it went belly up with the economy,” she said.

“I saw this van advertised on the internet and pleaded to pay for it in instalments. It was worth about £7,000 or £8,000. It won’t be covered on insurance.

“I am a fighter but without money I can’t do anything.

“I am on my way to the job centre to sign on now. I don’t want to live on benefits and social security.”

Ma-Mi said her burgers had been going down a storm and she had plans to expand the business after getting a new oven last week.

“I had just introduced new food. I was cooking roast pork with crackling and apple sauce, home-made lasagne and cottage pie. The oven had only been there a week,” she said.

“I made lots of crackling last night but there is no point of bringing it here because everything is crackled.”

A spokewoman for the police said they are treating the incident as suspicious and are classing it as criminal damage.

Witnesses or anyone with information should phone Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Anyone who can help Ma-Mi find another burger van should call reporter Emma Dunn on 01793 501797.