A BUSINESSMAN told today of his shock after a blade-carrying vandal slashed tyres on his works vans in an after-dark attack.

Paul Anderson — of Anderson Carpets — has been 'left reeling' from the incident which he described as a 'bolt from the blue'.

The 51-year-old says it's a mystery to him why he would be targeted in this way.

Shaken Paul told the Telegraph: "Not another van or car nearby was touched — only my two vehicles.

"I've been trading, living and working in Port Glasgow all my life and nothing like this has ever happened before.

"It's come as a complete shock."

Paul had left the vans parked at his King Street premises at 5pm closing time on Wednesday and he discovered the damage when he arrived to open up at 7am yesterday morning.

The four nearside tyres of both vehicles — those nearest the pavement — were punctured by the vandal, who is now being hunted by police.

Paul said: "I'm disgusted, after all these years in the town without any bother.

"I've been in this shop for three years now, but the business has been in the town for more than 30.

"We've had to call out a mechanic as a matter of emergency just to get fully operational again."

Paul — who immediately alerted police to the incident — added: "They have taken a statement from me over the phone and are looking in to it.

"There's a CCTV camera looking down from the corner of Church Street, so I'm hoping that turns something up of what happened, and who did it.

"It's had an immediate impact on my business and I've had customers panicking that they're not going to get theirs carpets fitted on time.

"But we've managed to get the vehicles repaired quickly and, despite the delay, we are back up and running normally again."

Sergeant Kayley Teasdale of Greenock police confirmed that the tyre-slashing vandalism had been reported.

Sgt Teasdale said: "The matter is currently under investigation and we are gathering information with regard to it."