A HAIRDRESSER has spoken for the first time after the partner of his former boss rammed his salon just two days after he set up in direct competition.

Shaun McCann launched a violent attack in his VW Caddy van, smashing straight through the front window of the Hairdresser, owned by Neil Drake, causing £30,000 of damage.

McCann, 57, claimed to have no memory of the incident despite ramming the shop front up to 20 times.

McCann was handed a two year suspended jail sentence after admitting criminal dam - age and dangerous driving.

Speaking at his salon yesterday, Mr Drake said he had previously worked for Mc - Cann’s partner, Veronica, for 15 months at Solutions - less than 500 metres away from where he set up his new business in Old Road, Clacton.

The 47-year-old revealed he had arrived at his business to find the VW van embedded in the shopfront, with McCann still sat in it. He said when he resigned from his role as an employee at Solutions he believed he had left the company on good terms.

And because he was not under a contract, there was nothing to stop him from setting up his new salon close to his old employer.

The attack on his salon forced him to close for seven weeks while repairs took place but despite this the kind-hearted crimper said he did not want to see McCann jailed.

He said: “On the morning it happened I came round the corner and could see fire engines, police cars and I thought the Chinese restaurant next door had caught fire.

“Then I saw the van in the front of the salon and I remember thinking: ‘flipping hell’.

“I recognised the van and knew straight away who would be driving it. Shaun was still in the van.

“The whole episode was bizarre to watch - it was like something from CSI.”

Mr Drake said he believes McCann launched his attack because a number of customers followed him when he left work at Solutions.

He added: “He had his reasons for what he did, but I think it was money.

“They were telling people I’d left to go back to live in Turkey to try to claw what they could away from me.”

Mr Drake is now claiming on his insurance for lost in - come and to cover the costs of the damages