A West Kirby barbershop was the target of a furious vandal attack one day after receiving a threatening phonecall demanding they "pay Pete's debts".
Top Crops on Gilroy Road had its windows shattered in broad daylight by a masked thug wearing a bobble hat and a blue hoodie at around 3pm on Saturday, January 28.
Just one day earlier, the shop had allegedly received a mysterious phonecall from a man looking for "Pete's girlfriend", despite nobody in the family-run shop knowing a Pete.
READ MORE: Woman who thought she had insect bite died months after 21st birthday
Owner Tracy Kilby, 58, who has run the barbershop with her sister Wendy for 27 years, said: "My niece answered the phone on Friday and it was a little scumbag, whoever it was, saying 'is that Pete's girlfriend?' and 'pay his debt or your salon windows are going in'.
"She said to them 'who are you talking about? There's no Pete here'. Then someone in the background said 'is it the right salon?', and then they put the phone down. She told us what happened and we thought he'd obviously got the wrong number because we're all married with children, have been for donkeys years.
"Then at 3pm on Saturday I was sat with a four-year-old little boy on my knee waiting for a haircut. The shop was packed with kids and their dads and there were a couple of grandparents sat in a car outside waiting for their son-in-law, who's got bad epilepsy.
"The next minute this person just came up and started hurling things at the windows. It sounded like a bomb going off. Because it's tough glass, it kept bouncing off and he just kept going and going until it went in, and the glass shattered everywhere.
"The kids were screaming and running. The four-year-old was that frightened he was crying but there were no tears, he was in shock. We all are.
"We've been here 27 years. Everybody knows us. It's a family-run business. We've raised money for kids with cancer, we've done so much. It must be somebody who doesn't know the shop, because nobody who did would ever do something like this."
After smashing Top Crops' windows with a brick, the mystery vandal ran away, and was seen by customers heading up the Gilroy Nature Reserve path towards Hoylake station on a lime green bicycle.
The barbershop was forced to close yesterday and today due to the damage, which has yet to be assessed.
Tracy said: "I haven't got a clue how much it will cost, because the windows have been in 20 years or more.
"The girls want to open tomorrow because they've got regular customers. I don't know what to do because we've got to put the shutters up and the windows are in an absolute state. I just don't know what to do.
"At first I was in shock. I couldn't eat until last night, since Saturday. Then the tears came. Now the anger is kicking in."
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.
READ NEXT
EncroChat drug runner 'Ladbrookes' given away when contact calls him 'Kurt'
Live updates M62 still closed through rush hour after lorry fire
A Place in the Sun's Jasmine Harman supported over 'tremendously sad news'
Woman shouts in dock as she's jailed for cathedral arson attack
