The team setting up a new salon and wellness centre in Leven have hit out after vandals damaged windows on the building they have leased.
Xanthe’s Beauty Rooms team member Pauline Gallagher says anti-social behaviour would make new business owners think twice about the town’s High Street.
Staff were disappointed to discovered a window at the premises had been smashed as they were working to get the new salon ready for opening.
Pauline said: “We’re renovating it at the moment and creating it into a wellness and beauticians’ area.
“Obviously the damage will hold us back because we need to wait on the glass arriving to get it fixed.
“They can’t put boarding on it, so we’re going to have to be really careful over the next five days.”
It comes after two fires affecting retail units in the Fife town, one at Poundstretcher on November 8 and a second fire at the former Masterton’s jeweller on November 26.
Police say the second fire was started deliberately, with a 17-year-old man arrested as a result.
Inquiries into the cause of the first blaze are ongoing, with around seven businesses on the high street currently closed as a result.
Pauline said the fire and the vandalism were making them wonder if they’d done the right thing opening in the area.
She said: “It does make you think seeing what’s happened but I have to say the Levenmouth community has been really helpful and there has been nothing but support.
“That’s a good sign for a new business, but [the vandalism] has held us back.”
As well as the more recent incidents, previous years have seen locals in Levenmouth impacted by a spare of firebug attacks.
Anti-social behaviour in Levenmouth
Anti-social behaviour has also been an issue in the past, but recent police figures did point to some progress having been made.
Levenmouth Together, a partnership set up in 2017 in response to high levels of crime in the area, works to combat the problems.
In 2018 Police Scotland had more than 800 complaints about the use of off-road motorbikes and hundreds of other calls about bad behaviour in the area.
Since Levenmouth Together was formed, and two dedicated police officers took up post, there has been a 70% reduction in these reports.
Local councillor Colin Davidson said the recent incidents should be viewed in this context.
He told The Courier: “The Poundstretcher fire has not been identified as deliberate, no evidence has appeared to show this.
“The old empty shop blaze was, and a youth was arrested within 36 hours of that happening.
Inquiries into Leven vandalism ongoing
“Anti-social behaviour has been reduced by 80% in Levenmouth in the last three years.
“We are installing seven new state-of-the-art CCTV cameras in coming weeks across Levenmouth.”
Police said inquiries are ongoing into the vandalism reported on Tuesday.
A spokesperson said: “Around 9.55pm on Tuesday officers received a report of vandalism at a premises on West End Promenade.
“Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
