A FURIOUS business owner and self-dubbed man-with-a-van has hit out at the “low-life” vandal who covered his work vehicle in paint - and smashed its windows.

David Cole, 45, who lives in Clacton, has run the Clacton Waste Removal Service for more than four years and says he has always proved popular with those he has worked with.

On Monday, however, one of his company’s advertising taxis was targeted in an attack which saw it doused in white paint and its windows smashed in.

According to Mr Cole, the traditional-looking black cab was parked near The Range, in Valleybridge Road, Clacton, and was set upon at about 3pm.

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He said: “I received a call from one of my customers who was sitting in a line of traffic and she told me some low-life on a push bike was smashing the windows of my taxi and throwing paint all over it.

“He was apparently masked up, so we still do not know who done this but then I was just gobsmacked when I saw.

“I have had the taxi for about a year-and-a-half and we park it all over and it was just a quirky thing we did and we have never upset anyone with it.

“It has not stopped us working and I will still be out every day looking after all my customers.”

Mr Cole, who has been forced to scrap the damaged vehicle, has now issued an appeal to the community in an attempt to track down the person responsible.

“I do not understand why this has happened which annoys me most, as I have never had a problem before,” he added.

“Everyone who knows me knows I get on with my job and I let everyone get on with their jobs.

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“There are a lot of people doing what I do around here, but there is enough work for everyone.

“If anyone has any information which could help it would be very much appreciated.”

To contact Clacton Waste Removal Service by visit facebook.com/clactontown.

Essex Police has been contacted for comment.