The owner of an Accrington café has been left feeling unsafe after vandals broke windows at her business leaving her with a large repair bill.
Iuliana Denisa Neamu of 2 Sisters Café and Bistro is appealing for anyone with information or footage to come forward after the premises was left damaged on Saturday evening.
The 22-year-old said she found out the news when she got home to Manchester with the windows smashed at around 7.40pm, but no-one went into the property.
A board was put up in the windows on Sunday and the windows were replaced on Monday.
Iuliana said: “I got home from work, and I live in Manchester, and I received a message from a lady saying that her son was passing by on Warner Street and he saw the action and he said that he chased these two lads that smashed the window, and he took a video of them.
“I have left her my number.
“Our window was smashed at around 7.40pm.
“When I arrived, there was a huge brick which had gone through the window, I’m not sure where they got it from as it was huge and heavy, so somebody actually wanted to do it and out of all of these shops on Warner Street it was just us.
“Earlier in the week on Thursday evening, there was another café that had a smashed window about two minutes away from us.
“I’m not sure if they are just targeting the cafes, I’m not sure but I found it weird that it has been two cafes in a week.
“I replaced the windows and it cost me £800 for two windows because they smashed one and scratched the other and tomorrow it could happen all over again and then what’s going to happen.
“I contacted the police."
Iuliana said she does not feel safe in the premises which has only been open for four months and asked the council for shutters for better security.
She said: “Myself and my staff don’t feel safe anymore, I have spoken to the council to get me the CCTV and they told me we are not allowed to put shutters up because the street is commercial and one of the nicer streets and if we put up shutters, customers won’t come in anymore.
“My CCTV camera decided not to record anymore just suddenly that’s why I called the council because they have two cameras which reach Warner Street and they said it can take up to 72 hours to get back to me, so I am still waiting for the footage.”
Iuliana said she is appealing for anyone with any information to contact her on Facebook at the 2 Sisters Bistro and Café.
She said: “Nobody knows anything, and nobody heard anything, it’s so strange.
“I am hoping that at least one person will have seen something or heard something, any information would be helpful.
“They smashed a side window where next to it is a huge window so if they wanted to come in they could have smashed the big window but they just smashed the small one.
“So, I think it was just vandalism, nothing else I don’t think they wanted to come in.
“But now I’m scared because it can happen anytime.”
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: "A report has been made to us and we are investigating.
"No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing."
Hyndburn Borough Council were approached for comment.
If you know any information, contact the police on 101 and reference 1410 of Fenruary 11.
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