Barber's 'close shave' attracts £25,000

A Tottenham barber whose shop was looted during the riots said today he was "overwhelmed" after Londoners raised more than £25,000 to help him back into business.

Aaron Biber, 89, works from 6am until midday, has been able to reopen his shop to customers.

"I'm just in shock," he said. "It's all very overwhelming. I've worked all my life - no one has ever had to give me money and I've never wanted it.

"My parents came here in the 1900s and they always had to work. They told me: 'If you don't work you don't eat'. Now I'm getting this money, people sending me cheques - it's all very strange."

The son of Polish immigrants Alec and Rachel, he has been working since the age of 10 doing everything from making bagels to guarding the Royal Mint.

Mr Biber, whose wife Dorothy died in August last year aged 83, said he could not have contemplated giving up work.

"I just want enough money for today - for me tomorrow never comes. With good health you are a millionaire. The only thing I really want is my wife back. She died last year and I just can't get over it."

Mr Biber, who has a large extended family around the world blamed the recent troubles in London on youths who have no work ethic. "They don't want to go to work or learn a trade," he said.

"All they want to do is run about with no responsibility. My father always told me work makes life sweeter but these lot don't understand that."

Mr Biber's family hailed the response of Londoners.

"Everyone helped sweep up, all the local shopkeepers came out and we cleaned up straight away," said his nephew, solicitor Eddie Biber.

"He's been there 41 years, and everyone knows him," he said.

"Luckily he takes all his tools home, but they took his kettle, coffee, cotton wool and his 20 year old hairdryer - it was astonishing. He only has a couple of people come in, but people drop in for coffee, and it really keeps him going. He's always done it, and he wants to keep working.

"We're all flabbergasted by the campaign, and that it happened so quickly, and has raised so much. Maybe we'll see a chain of Aaron's Cutters across North London now."