VANDALS caused more than £2,000 worth of damage when they ‘trashed’ a popular Weston café after smashing a window with a paving slab – just a year after it was targeted in a similar incident.

The Grove Park Café was ransacked in the early hours of April 12.

And café owner John Horler says the only way to try to solve the problem may be to close the park at night.

Two teenagers, aged 18 and 17, were arrested on suspicion of theft and burglary and released on bail.

They were also arrested on suspicion of an assault in Grove Park which took place on Friday at around 6pm.

A man walking alone through the park was approached by two men and punched in the face. One of the men made off with the victim’s glasses.

Thieves also stole drinks, sweets and crisps from the café some time between 5.30pm on Friday and 7am on Saturday, although Mr Horler believes it took place at around 4.30am.

Mr Horler said: “They smashed one of the windows and got inside and trashed the place.

“There was food out of the fridges, and ice-cream on the floor. Around 60 eggs were smashed on the floor.”

Hundreds of pounds worth of stock was stolen from the café in April last year, and around £2,000 worth was stolen or destroyed this time.

The cost of the window repairs will be around £400 and it took eight hours to clean the building, during which time it was closed on what should have been a busy Saturday.

Mr Horler said: “When I got in, I thought ‘here we go again’. It is the same as last time.

“After last time, we changed the windows, which we thought would work – but not against a paving slab.

“At the moment, the park is not shut at night and I think that would help.

“A lot of residents said it has been awful in the park at night in the last couple of weeks with screaming and shouting.”

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 using the reference number 36457/15.