A fundraiser has been launched to help a butchers smashed up during the violent unrest in Hartlepool, just a month after it celebrated its 70th anniversary.

The Farm Shop is on Murray Street in the town – the centre point of clashes by rioters on Wednesday (July 31) night.

The shop sustained significant damage during the violence as bricks, wood and glass was thrown towards riot police.

Police outside the damaged butchers on Thursday (August 1) morning.Police outside the damaged butchers on Thursday (August 1) morning. (Image: PA)

Staff at the butchers – possibly targeted by yobs who wanted to steal eggs to throw – were left sweeping away glass from the badly damaged shop front on Thursday (August 1) morning.

It comes less than a month after the shop celebrated 70 years of trading on July 4.

Photos show the main windows of the shopfront cracked and smashed while traditional glass panels have also been broken through, leaving the shop forced to close.

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

A GoFundMe page has been set up by local Honey Haggan who said: “We are trying to raise money to get the windows and shutters replaced and to save the gentleman pulling out cost what was no fault of his own.

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(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“He is not asking for this, his words to me where people have enough money problems without dealing with mine. Be lovely if we could all come together as a town and ease the burden for this lovely gentleman.”

The page has a target of £6,000, and raised more than £1.6k within five hours of going live.