A TROWBRIDGE man who has been in business for more than 50 years says he is considering quitting after mindless vandals caused about £6,000 of damage to his retail store.

Ken Farley and his wife Lorraine, together with their daughter Michelle, run Darlingtons Furniture & Flooring Centre in Prospect Place.

The 72-year-old has been in business for 53 years - more than 30 of them at the retail furniture and floorings centre close to Sainsbury’s superstore.

But Mr Farley says the “mindless vandals” who smashed two large front windows, a smaller window and glass door panes, last Friday evening (January 10) is just about the last straw.

“I can’t tell you what I said to the police when I saw it, but I did swear.

“It was a bit of a shock to see the extent of the damage. It just knocks you back.

“It’s just mindless vandalism. They have smashed all of the front windows, plus glass in the door.

“I got a phone call from police about 8pm last Friday, and they came and picked me up from my home and took me to the shop.

“All the windows had been smashed and there was a brick and glass inside the store.

“It’s going to cost about £6,000 to replace the windows. I’m just getting quotes now to repair the damage.

“Some of the furniture inside the store was also damaged, including a bedroom dressing table and two smaller cabinets. A glass-topped table was also broken.

“We found a brick inside the store, but we don’t think that’s what they used to smash the windows. They used some other form of implement to break them.

“This is the first time this has ever happened to me. I am hoping that it’s mindless vandalism and not someone with a grudge.

“I’ve had accidental damage before to a window but that was years ago and nothing like this.”

Mr Farley says the incident has made him and his 71-year-old wife think about quitting the family-run business and retiring.

“To be honest, I’ve sort of lost trust in the town. This sort of thing just puts you off being in business.

“It has put us both off business to be honest. This town is going downhill.

“Some of the damage will be covered by insurance but not all of it.”

Despite the attack, Mr Farley says the centre is still trading six days a week after they cleaned up the mess.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “We were alerted shortly after 7.30pm last Friday to an incident where a number of windows had been smashed at a business premises in Prospect Place, in Trowbridge.

“Officers arrived at the scene within four minutes but the suspects had already left the area.

“Enquiries, including CCTV and house-to-house, have been carried out, but at this stage no arrests have been made.

“Nothing was stolen from the store.

“Anyone with information should call Wiltshire on 101, quoting crime reference 54200003320. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”