The owner of The Athletic Club has said it was thanks to the business’ quality security system no one was hurt and no significant damage was incurred as a result of an apparent arson attack.

According to a police report, somebody threw flammable liquid at the gym’s doorway and set light to it in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Damage was limited to the carpet at the front of the building on Washington Street, and Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service was able to quickly extinguish the blaze at about 5am.

Kym Herron Scott, president and managing director of the gym, said she was hopeful that the police would track down the perpetrator as there were cameras in the property and at the adjacent bus terminal. The attack followed a similar incident at a home in Happy Valley Road, shortly after 3am on Wednesday, in which the woman occupant opened her door to find it in flames.

Reporting on that attack, police said flammable liquid appeared to have been poured outside. Asked if the two incidents were connected, Bermuda Police Service spokesman Dwayne Caines said: “We are keeping an open mind and all avenues are being explored.”

Reacting to yesterday’s attack, Ms Herron Scott told The Royal Gazette: “Nobody was hurt, there was no significant damage to the facility and the facility still opened on time.

“A little bit of the welcome mat outside caught fire and someone threw some water on it — you can’t even tell anything happened. We are fortunate. We have full video surveillance and motion detectors here and there is full surveillance at the bus terminal, so we are confident the police will be able to determine who did it.

“This is probably the worst place somebody can commit a crime and remain undetected. Our security associates called us immediately just after 5am. Something like this could have been significant if it was unattended. This is the first time this has happened here.”

Anyone who may have seen persons acting suspiciously in the area of either incidents is asked to contact police on 295-0011.