MINDLESS vandals have cost a vets thousands of pounds.

Two large bricks were thrown through the window of Medivet Canvey, in Furtherwick Road, smashing them and causing damage inside.

The large bay windows will have to be replaced and a consulting table was also chipped by the brick.

Branch partner Lizzie Kwint said the vandalism had affected the whole team that work there and it is not the first time they have been targeted.

She said: "They must have thrown the bricks with some force as there is a chunk taken out of the consulting table filled with brick dust.

"The tables are quite sturdy things.

"Whoever did it must have bought the bricks with them as there were none nearby.

"It really wasn't nice coming in on Saturday morning and seeing the damage.

"It isn't the first time, as we used to have a really nice fence around the practice, but that kept getting smashed by people walking past.

"We have been broken into twice as well."

She added that the windows would probably have to be completely replaced, which is expected to cost thousands of pounds.

Luckily, she was able to use another consulting room so there was minimal impact on the veterinary surgery.

She added: "There were no animals in the vets at the time as we don't keep them there overnight, but I doubt whoever did this knew that or cared.

"If there had been any animals they would have been very afraid.

"It is really not nice that someone would do this.

"It is just mindless vandalism.

"We have worked so hard to build this practice up from scratch and then this happens.

"It has really upset all the staff."

She added that although the branch is covered by insurance, they would have to pay the excess, which is money they then cannot spend on helping charity cases or improving the practice.

However, she said the response from customers and the community had been fantastic.

"We have had an offer from a Basildon business to replace the windows and we had so many phone calls from people offering to help us on Saturday morning," she added.

"There is a lovely community spirit on Canvey which is great to see.

"The support has been wonderful."

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Two bricks were thrown at windows of Medivet in Furtherwick Road, Canvey, sometime between 8pm on January 13 and 8.15am on January 14.

"Witnesses are asked to contact police on 101."