Adult shop and country clothing store victims of senseless smashing

Two popular Russell Street businesses have been damaged by a late night smashing spree after vandals broke the glass fronts of both stores.

HISTORY DESTROYED: Mike Williams, owner of Mike Williams Country Clothing waits for a 100 year old pane of glass to be replaced after vandals went on a glass smashing spree in Russell Street. Picture: Nev Madsen

Two Toowoomba businesses have become victim to a senseless act of vandalism overnight following a string of break ins on Russell Street.
Iconic Toowoomba clothing retailer, Mike Williams Country Clothing and A.O Adult Store both had glass windows or doors smashed sometime during Saturday evening and the early hours of Sunday morning on July 31 and August 1.

The window of the A.O Adult Store on Russell Street was broken by vandals overnight.

Owner Mike Williams said despite the damage, no items were stolen, leading him to believe this was just an act of senseless or drunken tomfoolery.

“Thankfully it was just a break and not an enter, so we haven’t lost any stock but unfortunately they did destroy a very old piece of property with a great deal of history behind it,” he said.

“The glass door they smashed was about 100 years old and was part of the inside of the building when we moved here and refurbished in 1991.”

Mike Williams, owner of Mike Williams Country Clothing waits for a 100 year old pane of glass to be replaced after vandals went on a glass smashing spree in Russell Street. Picture: Nev Madsen

Mr Williams explained the beautiful bevelled glass and hard wood doors was lovingly recycled and repurposed as the new front doors to the building and were the sole reason the clothing store didn’t get completely destroyed in the 2011 floods.

“Because the timber and glass in the doors is so sturdy and strong, it managed to withstand the bulk of the wall of water when it came through the street,” he said.

“It’s a shame to see the glass destroyed in such a careless act, they certainly don’t make doors and glass panels like they used to.”