A DAYLIGHT attack at a nail bar has left the owner frightened for the safety of himself and his customers after a hammer was thrown through his window. Francis Chac, who opened the nail bar in Hart Court, St Ives, just six weeks ago, told The Hunts Post t

A DAYLIGHT attack at a nail bar has left the owner frightened for the safety of himself and his customers after a hammer was thrown through his window.

Francis Chac, who opened the nail bar in Hart Court, St Ives, just six weeks ago, told The Hunts Post the business had already been attacked twice.

He said the first incident took place just after 5pm last Tuesday and was followed by another bout of vandalism the following evening.

"It's absolutely sick and I'm really frightened," he said. "I fear for the safety of myself and my customers.

"When the windows were smashed on Tuesday I had two customers in the shop and they had children. One of the children, a 13-year-old girl, was sitting quite close to the window and was left very shaken up by the incident. Her mother has since told me that her daughter now keeps having nightmares,"

The 35-year-old who travels from his London home everyday to run his nail bar, added: "It's lucky no one has been hurt. I just can't understand why they want to target me, it's like someone is trying to scare me."

The hammer attack on Tuesday was carried out by a group of hooded men who smashed the front windows of the nail bar and ran off. The next day offenders entered the nail bar at about 9.15pm, smashing all the glass and mirrors in the premises.

Mr Chac said has only been able to afford to replace one window as the cost of replacing them all is estimated at £2,500.

"I am losing a lot of money while my shop is boarded up as it looks so ugly. I used to get a lot of passing trade because my window displays were very attractive but now it's only my regulars that come in and so every day I lose more and more money."

Mr Chac has now installed CCTV cameras on his premises to try to prevent the attacks happening again.

"Hopefully the CCTV will stop my windows being smashed as I can't carry on like this - constantly looking over my shoulder and not being able to get on with my job."

Huntingdon District Council and St Ives South Councillor John Davies who visited the shop to offer his support to Mr Chac, added: "I am absolutely horrified by what's happened as that hammer could easily have killed someone. To me it seems like a pre-meditated attack. I've never heard of anything like this happening in St Ives."

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police said: "We are putting every effort into trying to catch the people responsible for these incidents. We would ask anyone who was in the area at the time of these incidents to contact police."

INFORMATION: Anyone with information should contact 0845 4564564 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.