A shop sign that is more than 80 years old was replaced this week after vandals shattered the glass fascia while trying to break in.

John Angell, the jewellers in Biggin Street, has occupied the same premises since 1934 – and the sign was put up when it first began trading.

But it was on Saturday, September 5, when Mr Angell was getting ready to open that he noticed the damage.

He said: “When I raised the shutter the next morning, two pieces of glass fell on me, luckily missing my head, but causing cuts to my right hand.

“When I looked, there were about three holes along the sign.”

Mr Angell spent the rest of the morning in the Kent and Canterbury Hospital getting the cuts treated.

After making the rest of the sign safe, he said that the shop was able to open as normal.

Police officers came round to take a statement and look at the CCTV footage the following Monday.

Yesterday (Wednesday), Dover Glass Centre re-fitted the sign and managed to save the original bronze and enamel letters that generations of people have seen in the town centre.

The only new addition was the replaced, toughened, black glass fascia sign in which the letters sit.

Mr Angell said: “It will go through the insurance in the normal way but it is just the frustration. It was a bit disappointing but you just get on with it.”

Nothing more has been heard from the police since it happened, he said.

A police spokesman confirmed that there is no update.