The owner of a Grade II-listed restaurant that was damaged by a stolen digger has offered a reward for information about the incident.
The Mucky Duck in Drakeholes, Nottinghamshire, was rammed repeatedly by a digger at about 11.50pm on Wednesday, police said.
Causing damage estimated to cost about £200,000 to repair, a telehandler vehicle was driven at the restaurant before reversing and hitting it again repeatedly.
Harriet Bolland, who opened the business with her family in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, told BBC News: “I’m just shocked and lost for words. It’s all very bizarre.
“He’s rammed straight through the disabled access and has then driven at the building at God knows what speed.”
Police said the heavy-duty construction vehicle was stolen from Town Street in nearby Clayworth before being used to drive over a pub bench.
The thief then drove into the 18th-century restaurant six times in four different places, leaving a hole in the side of the building.
“We have thought about how and why somebody would do this and it just seems that they were desperate to get us shut down. There’s no other explanation for it,” Bolland said.
“I don’t know why or who on earth would do this. As if the industry isn’t hard enough, then yet you have to deal with this.
“Business had been going really, really well. We had bookings from midday through to this evening which we’ve had to cancel. Now we can’t open.”
DS Jackie Price, of Nottinghamshire police, said: “We are at the very early stages of our investigation, but want to hear from anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage which could help with our inquiries.
“The raid has caused a considerable amount of damage to a well-known business and local landmark. We are determined to track down those responsible.”
