The owner of an award-nominated dessert shop in Ayr is considering packing it all in, following a confrontation with a member of the public last night that led to the thug putting his fist through the shop window.

Haroon Ali of What the Scoop in Ayr, which is in the running for Scotland region section of the British Takeaway Awards, is feeling distraught after the incident and he says that since the nomination they've experienced a lot of hate directed towards the business online.

He said: "It's just so draining, I'm mentally exhausted. I'm really considering just selling up. It's getting worse day by day, the negativity, the hate, the comments."

The incident occurred last night around 8.45pm. It's alleged that a man, with beer can in hand, was passing by the shop when he approached staff saying that they'd said something about him. 

An argument then ensued with the members of staff assuring him that nothing had been said.

Haroon asked the man to leave the shop, but the man refused multiple times, he continued to verbally abuse staff, asking Haroon to come outside with him, before eventually leaving, but not before he punched the shop-front window, causing it to break.

Haroon expects the damage will cost around £1,500 to repair.

Photos of the culprit have been shared by the business on Facebook and Haroon has had to defend the post from people saying that they were innappropriate, some even suggested he set up somewhere outside of Wallacteown if he wants to avoid trouble.

Key amongst people's objections to the post, was the use of the word 'junkie', something that Haroon has since said was used in the 'heat of the moment' and 'is not the type of thing [he'd] like to be posting at all'.

Haroon said: "Let me make this clear, I do not have an issue with Wallacetown at all, some people are saying well you better move out of Wallacetown and move to a better area, 95 per cent of people appreciate us but there are some that don't and the bad comments just get you down."

"We take pride in what we do, it's not like we're a corporate company, it's a family-run business. And yes, I do know it's wrong to call somebody a junkie, which I do apologise for, but again from a business perspective, it's not easy at all. I know it's an emotional response, it shouldn't have been shared.

"At the end of the day, it was the heat of the moment and I apologise unreservedly for that. It's not something I would want to be posting at all."

The police are currently looking into the incident. 

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Police were called around 8.55pm on Sunday, June 6, 2021 following the report of vandalism to a business premise on Content Street, Ayr.

"Inquiries are currently ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and anyone with any information is asked to contact Police on 101 quoting incident number 3476 of 06/06/21."