Customer 'shocked' as laundrette owner is found dead (From Times Series)

Customer 'shocked' as laundrette owner is found dead in Finchley

8:50am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News By Emma Innes

A customer who was in a laundrette when the owner was found dead has spoken of her shock.

Stephanie Rothner, 60, of Grove Road, was in The Laundrette in Ballards Lane, Finchley, when the business’s owner was found dead in the back office.

Ms Rothner was doing her laundry when the laundrette first opened on Sunday morning.

She was let in by an employee who arrived to open the business.

While she put her laundry on the employee went to look for his boss, Bhasker Amin.

He found Mr Amin, who was in his 60s, on the floor of the office behind the shop and called an ambulance.

Mr Amin, who lived in Dartford and had a wife and three children, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ms Rothner, who had been using the laundrette since Mr Amin opened it nearly ten years ago, said: “It was such a terrible shock.

“I still haven’t got over it. I was really upset.

“He was a very nice man and he had a great sense of humour.”

She added: “I was just doing my washing when a member of staff walked out. I didn’t know he had gone to call an ambulance.

“The first I knew of it was when all the paramedics turned up.

“I asked what was going on and someone said that the owner was dead.

“I was just so shocked. It was so unreal.

“I couldn’t believe it. I know that these things happen but you just don’t expect it.”

Police closed the shop temporarily but Mr Amin’s death is not being treated as suspicious.

A post mortem will be carried out to establish the cause of his death.