The windows of Putney High Street’s new butchers, DuGard & Daughters, were smashed by a drunk reveller in the early hours of Saturday, costing the business thousands of pounds in damage.
The man, who was caught on CCTV cameras owned by the store, was walking down the High Street around 3.30am punching and kicking shop windows, according to locals, with DuGard & Daughters taking the worst of it. Soon after, and just a few doors down, the man got into a fight.
The shop has provided the police with the footage which clearly captures the man involved and, according to the shop, a police forensics team was able to take a sample of blood from one of the smashed windows which could be used later to secure a conviction.
The cost of the damage is estimated to be around £5,000, with the butchers’ hastily repairing the broken glass in time for Monday morning.
The damage is another blow to Putney High Street’s reputation, after years of continual closures, dozens of closed shops, and a growing number of fast food restaurants, nail salons and vape shops. Business have been warning for a decade that the combination of high rents, heavy traffic and a lack of planning and attention by the local council is causing a dangerous downturn in Putney High Street’s fortunes.
Local residents now shop in nearby Barnes, Wimbledon and Richmond.
