A MAN who smashed a baby shop window after a row with his girlfriend has apologised face-to-face to the shop’s owner and paid for the damage.

The man was accompanied by police when he went into the Kidz Baby Shop in Mealcheapen Street, Worcester, on Saturday to apologise, shake the owner’s hand and pay for the damage in cash.

Ali Aston, who owns the shop, took his hand and hopes the man has learned a valuable lesson from the experience and that she can now put it behind her. She said: “The police asked me how I wanted him dealt with and I said I wanted him to pay for the damage and come in to see me. They brought him on Saturday evening (August 13). He sincerely apologised and admitted it which he had no choice but to do.

“He said ‘I’m so, so sorry’. They had been having a row, him and his girlfriend. I said ‘whatever, don’t think you can go around punching people’s property and smashing windows’.”

Mrs Aston said she cannot thank the Worcester News or the general public enough and it has been as a result of both that the culprit was found.

She added: “I wanted to re-iterate how kind people had been to me. I’m not going to name and shame him even though I know his name. He has had the decency to apologise and pay for the damage. He said he had never been in trouble before. I did say ‘how would you like it if I smashed up your car?’”

As we previously reported the incident 1.54am on Sunday, July 24 was captured on the shop’s CCTV system and Mrs Aston supplied video footage to both West Mercia Police and the Worcester News in the hope the culprit would be found.

The single punch caused £1,000 worth of damage, shattering the toughened glass.

The culprit left blood on the window which allowed a DNA sample to be obtained by a forensics team.

After the punch the man returned to the shop and appeared to look in the other window of the shop, having apparently made up with the woman with whom he had earlier been seen arguing.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: “A man was identified as part of investigations and the matter was resolved locally by a community resolution so nobody was arrested in relation to this incident.”