A VANDAL who smashed a shop window called the owner to apologise and plead with him “not to get the police involved”.

Gareth Tansey, who owns Dr G’s Sneaker Laundry, in High Street, Colchester, arrived to open his shop last month, only to find the damaged pane of glass.

CCTV footage shows a passing man lashing out at the window in a late-night act of vandalism.

Mr Tansey gave the footage to the police after the incident, which took place at around 12.55am on Sunday, October 23.

Gazette: The cracked glass after the incidentThe cracked glass after the incident (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “You work so hard over the years to build up from your shed, to your garage, and to leave your full-time job to pursue this.

"When someone does this to something you are so passionate about, while you’re providing a service to the community, it feels like you’ve been kicked right in the teeth.”

After the Gazette published an appeal for information, Mr Tansey said he received a call from a withheld number.

He said the “panicked” caller confessed to the vandalism.

“He called me up and admitted to me it was him,” he said.

“He said they were sorry, that he was having an argument with his girlfriend outside the taxi rank, and as he walked past the shop he took his frustration out on the window.

“He said he works full-time, and said ‘please, don’t get the police involved’.”

Mr Tansey told the caller he had given the CCTV images to the police.

He said he would agree to “drop” the complaint if the culprit paid for the damages.

The caller agreed to visit the shop in the coming days to pay for the damage, with Mr Tansey holding out hope he will stay true to his word.

“I assumed he had seen the piece in the paper and panicked,” he said.

“I said I’m not dropping it and told him police had all the CCTV images.

“He said he didn’t get paid until [the end of November], and I said if he comes in to make payment for the damage I’ll drop it.

“He withheld his number when he called. It just shows what good it can do to report these things to the local paper and not keep it to yourself.”