A LONE skateboarder wreaked havoc on shopkeepers in Kings Langley on Easter Sunday by smashing panes of glass along the high street.

At 9.30pm the young man was spotted smashing windows by many passers-by and residents who were alerted by the sound of glass breaking.

The first shop he targeted was Belgian chocolate shop Special Occasions, where he broke five small windows.

At one point the man was questioned by a driver in a passing car, but the boarder failed to take any notice.

He continued by smashing windows of a dry cleaners, the pet shop and a large frame of glass of the betting shop.

By this time the police had been called and upon sirens being heard, the young man fled.

Shopkeepers were angry at the extra cost the vandal had caused them.

One shopkeeper said: "It cost us shopkeepers a lot of extra money as the first £250 of any insurance claim has to be paid and this didn't cost enough to pay on excess.

"But we all have small panes of glass as the shops are old so they cost a lot to replace."

Signs have been distributed across the village offering a reward for a genuine identification of the man, leading to a conviction.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire police said: "These incidents have all been linked and are being investigated as criminal damage.

"We don't have a description of the youth but he was seen fleeing in the direction of Hemel Hempsted carrying his skateboard."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the police.

May 1, 2003 16:30