TERRIFIED staff members were forced to barricade themselves and customers inside a Dunfermline cafe on Saturday after the city was taken over by violent "thugs".

Kev Reekie, who owns Cafe Fresh on Kirkgate with his wife, Jennifer, received a frantic call from an employee that there was rioting outside, and that they had locked the doors in an attempt to keep themselves safe.

He says that the yobs, many of whom he said were wearing balaclavas, had cost the family business £1,700 in damage after throwing his furniture across the street and at each other.

"We have had a weekend of hell," he told the Press.

"My mother-in-law just passed away, so we weren't there, my staff said there were thugs coming down the street, throwing fireworks and flares and our furniture.

"I've had to bin seating, signage and even our dog bowl.

"It was really frightening, I have had regular customers saying they felt intimidated."

Having opened their doors just two months before the pandemic in 2020, the 41-year-old says that things had never been easy for the cafe, though they are kept going by their loyal customer base.

However, over the weekend, he noted that footfall took a huge hit after news spread of the riots and had "frightened" regulars away from the city centre.

This is set to continue until he can replace the ruined furniture, which he says could take weeks.

Rival fans sparked trouble around the City Chambers prior to Saturday afternoon's clash between Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk, with police confirming that they were called to the Kirkgate area at around 11.10am following reports of a "large disturbance".

"The outside section is essential with tourism in the area," Kev added.

"It is sad to see, you think of this kind of thing happening in a fictional film, not on our doorstep, not to our business.

"I have never seen anything like that before but our staff are all fine, their safety is our priority."

Since the event, community spirit has been clear, as Kev says many other outlets in the area have "popped their heads in" professionally and personally to see how things are, with Tappie Toories offering financial support.

"The support network has been overwhelming," he continued.

"I want to say thanks to everyone who has supported us – it is a boost in confidence."

And with energy bills skyrocketing, the business owner says that an already "challenging" time had only been made more difficult.

"It is an extra strain, it's been surreal, it's picking up the pieces now and plodding on," he said.

"There is a question mark over when it will be sorted with the cost involved, we will need to go through our insurance.

"A few years ago, youths smashed one of our windows, and that took several weeks to fix.

"There's substantial evidence of damage."

Video footage shows hooligans throwing flares, furniture and bins in scenes of violence.

The alarm is clear from within Cafe Fresh, where staff recorded the scenes, as coffee and uneaten cakes were left behind by scared customers.

Police Scotland have confirmed that enquiries remain ongoing.