A dad caught up in a terrifying vandal attack on a family-run business said his two young sons "could have been killed" after a large brick was hurled past their heads.
Roy Thomas was having his hair cut at Top Crops on Gilroy Road, West Kirby, with his sons Tyler, nine, and Albie, four, at around 3pm on Saturday when a black masked vandal ran up to the shop and smashed its windows with a brick.
He said: "At first we thought it was either a car backfiring, someone had had a crash, or someone had dropped something in the shop. It was just one big boom.
READ MORE: Children 'screamed and ran' as vandal smashed barber shop windows
"Tyler had just had his hair cut and was sitting in the window. I was getting my hair cut in the back of the shop and Albie was sitting on Tracy's (shop owner) knee. I didn't clock what had happened at first; I looked up and thought someone had crashed into the window on a bike. It took a few seconds to realise what was going on.
"I jumped up, I was startled. The shop was full of people. I saw my son was still sitting in the window and I just screamed his name and he legged it straight over to me. I knew Albie was with Tracy and she was protecting him, but I yelled for him a few seconds later and they came running over.
"It was a whirlwind. It felt like it lasted for ages, but it was just a few seconds."
Just one day before the attack, Top Crops owner Tracy Kilby said the shop had received a threatening phonecall from an unknown man who said 'is that Pete's girlfriend?' and 'pay his debt or your salon windows are going in'. However, staff at the 27-year-old's business believed the call was a wrong number, as none of them knew who 'Pete' was.
Roy, 37, who has been a Top Crops regular for 10 years, said: "He threw the brick a few times. It came through the glass and flew straight past where Tyler was sitting, and landed where Albie was just a few seconds before. A split second here or there and one of my kids could have been seriously hurt, if not killed.
"That's what's haunting me as a father. Everyone was startled and I feel like I didn't react quickly enough.
"He must be dangerous to do that in broad daylight in front of a shop full of witnesses. Four or five dads were ready to run out there, but panicked because they wanted to protect their kids. He could've had a knife, a gun, anything, and that's what really worries me.
"Tyler was telling all his friends how lucky he was, and when he got home his mum had to sleep next to him and hold his hand, he was definitely shaken up. Albie was so traumatised he's been having sleepless nights, and he's very sensitive at the minute.
"I'm so angry about it, and I'm trying me best to share what happened. People don't see it from my point of view - they see it as just a smashed window. But as a father, I see it as my child could have been hurt."
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "We can confirm we received a report of criminal damage to a shop in West Kirby on Saturday January 28.
"Just after 3pm it was reported that a brick was thrown at a window of Top Crops Barbers on Gilroy Road. The suspect then made off on a bike. No injuries were reported. The suspect is described as white, 5ft 8” tall and slim build.
"Officers are appealing for witnesses or anyone who captured any CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to please get in touch."
Anyone with information is asked to contact @MerPolCC on Twitter or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook with reference be 23000082209.
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