A LUDLOW town-centre businessman is being targeted by a tyre slasher.

Martyn Emsen, who owns the Smoke House and Cicchetti Bar in Broad Street, has been the victim of a series of attacks on his van while parked near his shop.

He says that it is not the only incident in the town centre but believes that he is being especially targeted.

“I have had my tyres slashed three times in the past eight weeks,” said Martyn, aged 60.

“They all happen when the van is parked in Broad Street away from my shop.”

So far he has had five tyres slashed and the bill is rising.

He estimates that, up until now, the criminal damage has cost him around £500.

“I have started to put cheaper tyres on the van because I never know when I will find that it has happened again.”

But the damage is more than just a costly inconvenient.

“The van is an important part of my business and is used to transport food prepared in the smokehouse to my many customers,” he added.

The Ludlow businessman believes that he is the victim of a vendetta and believes that a tradesman working in the area may have captured an image of someone slashing a tyre on his van.

But the Ludlow businessman is not impressed with the response of the police.

“I have spoken to a Community Support Officer but the response is that they have no power and I need to speak to a PC and I say then get me one, please,” added Martyn Emsen.

However, it seems that tyre slashing of his car may not just be an isolated incident.

“I have heard of another incident in Broad Street and have visited tyre centres in the area who say that they are also aware of incidents involving cars in town-centre car parks,” Martyn Emsen added.

Tim Gill, who represents the Broad Street area on Ludlow Town Council, is worried about other car crime in the area.

“I find the tyre-slashing to be a despicable and cowardly act,” said Tim Gill.

But he said that this is not the only issue that is worrying people living in the area.

“There are young drivers who are using the town centre as a race track in the evening and have a circuit that they are using.

“The speed bumps are totally ineffective as the cars are simply driven between them.”

Tim Gill, aged 65 and born in Ludlow, says that anti-social behaviour has been a problem in the town centre for as long as he can remember.

“We have older people living in the area who feel intimidated,” he added.

“There are young people who roam around making a lot of noise. I am not sure that it is their intention to intimidate but that is how people feel.”

Ludlow town centre has been subject to anti-social behaviour ranging from people being loud to more serious incidents such as broken glass and people urinating in the street and through letter boxes.

In 2015 there were a series of burglaries in town-centre shops.