THE defiant boss of an award-winning car dealership has vowed not to be defeated by vandals who caused thousands of pounds of damage to his business.

Wreckers struck at Chorley Nissan, Foxhole Road, Chorley, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage -- the day before the big used car sale this weekend.

But Blackburn-born Andrew Turner, group managing director, pledged the event would not be hit as he prepared to draft in more cars and staff.

"They've caused thousands and thousands of pounds worth of damage, but it's going to have absolutely no impact on the sale whatsoever," he said.

"We are bringing in even more cars from other branches -- it's made us even more determined."

Mr Turner, aged 39, who now lives in Chorley, said the firm had spent £10,000 marketing the huge sale as far afield as Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster. Some 10,000 existing customers had been leafleted and the dealership, which also has branches in Lancaster, Preston and Wigan, had organised to have extra sales staff on duty.

Fifteen used cars on the forecourt were targeted by the vandals some time between midnight Thursday and 6am Friday, when the security guard employed by the garage discovered the attack and reported it to police.

Mr Turner explained: "Windows have been smashed and dashboards ripped out. It looks like they have bricked them."

He added that the garage "may have ruffled a few feathers" with its sale which, he said, had been billed as being so big "it was going to change the state if the motor industry in Chorley".

He continued: "Commercially things are a little but grim. They're saying there's a recession and war's about to break out. Not here. President George Bush has got nothing on me!"

Chorley Nissan, launched 10 years ago, has been the biggest Nissan dealership in the country for the past four years.