AN IPSWICH restaurant has been the target of vandals for the third time in the space of a year.Ray's Bistro, on Silent Street, was forced to close for the day and assess the damage caused to a smashed window.

AN IPSWICH restaurant has been the target of vandals for the third time in the space of a year.

Ray's Bistro, on Silent Street, was forced to close for the day and assess the damage caused to a smashed window.

Ray's has been a feature of the Old Cattle Market area since June 2006 but restaurant owner, Shwan Hawrami, now worries that the latest incident could spell the end of trade.

Mr Hawrami, 49, said: “I was here on Friday until about 7.30pm, when I closed up and went home. Our chef passed by an hour later and everything was still OK. I came round the corner in the morning and thought to myself 'oh no not again!'

“I'm absolutely gutted that someone would do this. Business is slow at the moment anyway because of the weather and of course there are bills to pay but I didn't expect this.

“It's not a huge issue but it's by no means trivial. I have to pay £250 every time but the damage to the business hurts more. People walking past can't think very much of it.”

Mr Hawrami's restaurant was first targeted in February last year when the same window was smashed. Almost immediately after being fixed, the window was smashed again.

This time Mr Hawrami hopes somebody can help find the culprit.

He said: “It would have made a big noise and people may have been coming out of the clubs at the time.

Everyone who comes here is very friendly. We get lots of young people, pensioners, builders and office people and everyone has offered us a lot of sympathy.”