A restaurant owner has vowed not to let "infantile" vandals spraying ketchup and throwing rubbish ruin his business. 

Bluebelles of Portobello has been attacked three times since it opened in The Broadway, Mill Hill, nine weeks ago.

Vandals covered the shop front with litres of tomato sauce and left rubbish strewn about the street outside, with the latest attack taking place in the early hours of Thursday, July 9.

Owner Johnny Krantz said: “Only our shop was attacked. It begs the question what did we do to deserve this? It’s a rather nasty affliction to put on a new business when we have done nothing wrong.

“It does make me question, what is the end game? Would they just rather I was not here? It’s also rather amazing in that it is such an extraordinary protest. It’s petulant and infantile, and says more about the perpetrator than our business.

“Being an independent small business, does it seem right we should be taking the brunt of it?”

The first incident took place a couple of weeks after the restaurant opened, followed by another attack a month later.

After the attack last week, staff found a 4.5kg empty bottle of ketchup outside the front door, and a mop which had been used to spray it over the shop and a van parked outside.

Mr Krantz, who lives in Finchley, has since reported it to the Metropolitan Police.

The 34-year-old added: “The items were left in the street outside the shop. Police came in and did fingerprints and dusting.

“What upset me, apart from it being a personal attack on my business, was the loss of earnings because our customers did not want to sit outside in the sunshine. The ketchup was attracting wasps, and it was all over the floor.”

The restaurant had to hire professional cleaners to clear up the mess, and may have to replace its outside heaters, which were damaged by the ketchup getting inside.

Mr Krantz, who grew up in Stanmore, added: “It is going to need serious maintenance to get it back to working order.”

But the trader has vowed not to be intimidated by the attacks.

He added: “The message we are trying to drum home is none of these attacks are going to make us bottle it. They are not going to intimidate us. If anything, they make us more hungry.

“Without a doubt, it has strengthened our resolve and has brought out the best in our nature. There is no other way than to laugh at it, but the fear of escalation does hang over.”

A Met spokesman said: “Police are investigating criminal damage at Bluebelles restaurant at The Broadway, Mill Hill, committed between 11am on Wednesday, July 8 and 1:30am on Thursday, July 9.

“A quantity of ketchup was squirted on the front of the café and also on a nearby parked van. Enquiries continue.”