A RESTAURANT owner has called for police to do more to tackle late-night drunken crime after his shop window was smashed for the fifth time.

Salvatore Cacace, who owns Italian restaurant Limoncello in Ock Street, Abingdon, said it cost him £500 every time the restaurant’s front window was broken.

He came to work on Friday morning to find it cracked again, the third time in six months.

He blamed late-night drinkers and said police needed to step up weekday patrols as the vandalism always happened on a Thursday night.

Thames Valley Police, however, insisted that they were doing all they can to deal with any problems.

Mr Cacace, who has owned the restaurant for nearly five years, said: “It always happens on Thursdays when there are no police about... they do whatever they like.”

He said the breaks were likely caused by revellers coming out of pubs.

Mr Cacace added: “There are CCTV cameras. The police got the footage last time but nothing happened.”

Abingdon Chamber of Commerce president Paul Townsend said: “It is one of those things that happens everywhere.”

But he said the police did have a strong presence, adding: “I don’t really know what more they could do.”

Thames Valley Police said it was investigating the latest incident.

Spokesman Leo Tarring said: “An on-going high visibility operation aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour, particularly relating to the night time economy, takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

“The neighbourhood team asks people to report any incidents of anti-social behaviour as and when they occur.”

bwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk