THE owner of a town centre pub has slammed vandals who smashed four windows and left holes in the toilet wall - just days after spending £10,000 on a refurbishment.

Steve Didlock has owned The New Chambers, on Peel Square, for the last two years and admits when he took on the role the venue had a bad reputation.

But he’s worked hard to change that and decided to fit out the venue to make it more modern, spending £10,000 in the process.

However, just hours after reopening on Saturday there were ten holes in the toilet walls and on Monday afternoon four windows were put through.

Steve reckons it’s going to cost him more than £3,000 to sort the damage.

He told the Chronicle the pub industry is hard enough as it is without incidents like this occurring.

He said: “The pub had been the same way it was for quite a whole and we had the idea to give it a bit of a refurb.

“We put about ten grand into it and it looks more modern now.

“About two-and-a-half hours after reopening on Saturday we had ten holes in the toilet wall - that’s been bordered up now.

“Then on Monday we had a few regulars in and a group we didn’t know.

“One of them was kicked out three times and then someone picked up some wood and put four windows through.

“It’s going to cost us £3,000 to fix it.

“The industry isn’t great right now - it’s hard enough as it is and to have to spend the money makes it even harder.”

A police spokesperson said: “On Monday night at 6.20pm we were called to a pub on Peel Street in Barnsley town centre following an altercation occurring.

“It is believed that while customers were being escorted from the premises by staff, an assault and criminal damage to windows took place.

“Two men, aged 54 and 22 were arrested on suspicion of assault and taken into custody.

“They have both since been released without charged.

“A woman, aged 48 was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

“She has since been released under investigation while our enquiries progress.”