THE OWNER of a popular coffee shop has been left 'shaken' and 'frustrated' after her store was targeted by vandals. 

Mary Stevens is facing a £200 bill after 'drunken idiots' smashed a window at Willows Coffee House late Saturday night, 'exploding' shards of glass across the premises.

This comes just months after the community coffee spot, alongside several other businesses, suffered similar damage. 

Ms Stevens was abruptly woken by a call from police at 5.30am on Sunday alerting her to the incident.

She said: "I've got elderly parents and one of them is touch and go, so when you get a phone call at that time in the morning your mind starts racing. You don't know what to think, it could be about one of your kids or anything - it's that heart-stopping moment."

Not wanting to wake any of her staff, Ms Stevens headed straight for the Church Street store to start the clean-up operation so she could open for customers as normal at 11am. 

She described the top of town as an "absolute tip" and said it looked like there had been a "takeaway food fight".

Basingstoke Gazette: Basingstoke town centre Basingstoke town centre

While nothing was stolen from the shop, Ms Stevens admitted she was “shocked” by the extent of the damage vandals had caused, adding that it took her three hours to clear the mess.

"Whatever was thrown or used to hit the window must have been done with such force because the glass was absolutely everywhere,” she said.

“It wasn't just on the shop floor, either. Some of it was on the shelves right at the back, behind the coffee machine and even in the sink.”

Ms Stevens has since patched up the damage and will be returning after the shop closes today to secure the window with plywood until a fitter can come and replace the bespoke glass tomorrow. However, she said the incident will put significant strain on the businesses’ finances.

Basingstoke Gazette: The patched up window pane The patched up window pane

"It's a window at the end of the day, but it's not just a window. We're a small business and £200 to replace it is quite a lot of money for us. It's so hard for us at the moment, everything is so expensive and this something we could absolutely do without. We had to throw away some of the crafter's stuff as well.

“There was some really lovely art which people had worked hard on which was just beyond repair. It's just mindless behaviour from a bunch of idiots who have got drunk and not been able to control themselves. They probably can't even remember what they did.”

She added: "We're there for the community. Although I'm a businesswoman, I'm probably the worst businesswoman in the world because I don't make anything - it all goes back into the shop. So many things need doing and that £200 would have gone a long way.

"Since we opened two years ago, we've supported over 110 local businesses, individuals, charities and schools. Probably around 95 per cent of those are from Basingstoke. Everything we do is aimed at helping others, that's the whole point of the place for me. So, to have someone from your own town do this is frustrating to say the least."

Officers are currently reviewing CCTV from Willows and some of the neighbouring businesses as they investigate the incident.

In the meantime, Ms Stevens has opened the coffee shop as normal and has asked residents to come and show their support.