Customers were left “shocked and disappointed” after vandals targeted a popular independent Halstead cafe.

Vandals struck at Prego, in Bridge Street, letting off a fire extinguisher through a letterbox and subsequently covering the premises in a blanket of white powder.

Staff arrived for work at 8.30am on Saturday, February 21, to find everything from the floor, tables and chairs, cups and saucers, completely covered.

It took them all day to clean up the mess.

Cafe owner Mark Taylor reported the incident to the police.

He said: “If it’s mindless vandalism, a couple of kids or drunken oiks, the police can give them a slap on the wrist and do what they do.

“It just seemed perhaps that it was a little bit targeted.

“If it is targeted, I would like to take it further with the police."