SHOP owners were left with a bill running into thousands of pounds today after 23 windows were smashed.

Six shops in Broadway, Accrington, were left to call in the glass fitters after discovering the trail of destruction that left Woolworths with the need to replace 14 of their 17 doors and windows.

Marks and Spencer had five smashed, and £1 Everything, the British Heart Foundation, Jack Fulton frozen foods and the Boulevard entrance to the Town Hall had one.

Each window of toughened glass had a hole the size of a 2p coin smashed into it and cracks running to the edges of the panes.

Diane Cronin, assistant manager of £1 Everything, said: "We have some people coming here today to tell us the price and to replace the glass. This is the second time this has happened. We had one smashed three months ago.

"He must be a bit of a nutter. Maybe he wanted a bed for the night. It's a bit of a strange way of going about it though."

Steven Seddon, 41, manager of Jack Fulton frozen foods, said: "Last time we had this done it cost us £2,000, but that was before we split the front window into two.

"This time I reckon it will be around £1,200, but I'm guessing.

"We couldn't decide whether the person who had done it had been hitting them with a hammer or whether they had shot them, because these are made of toughened glass and it takes a lot to damage them.

"When the man came round to replace the previous one he had to use a lump hammer to get it out."

A 23-year-old man was arrested at 4.20am today after police officers were called to Broadway by CCTV staff in Accington police station.