Bosses of a convenience store who put up electric shutters to prevent their shop being attacked by yobs have been ordered to take them down.
The Copthorne Country Store in Copthorne Bank, Copthorne, near Crawley, has been targeted by vandals constantly over the past two years.
Ram raiders smashed into the front of the store using two 4x4s in an unsuccessful bid to steal a cash machine in October last year, causing £15,000 worth of damage.
Other attacks on the store include an incident where a youth shot at the window using a weapon similar to a BB gun.
Bricks have also been thrown through the front windows of the store, causing hundreds of pounds of damage.
In other incidents the newspaper stands outside the store have been set on fire.
A group of teenagers even recently started a fight with store owner David Brabakaran after he refused them alcohol because he believed they were under-age.
Sri Lankan Mr Brabakaran says police have been called to the store about 30 times over the past 18 months.
Last year Mr Brabakaran, who runs the store with Rajakulendran Ragunathan, decided to install electric shutters worth hundreds of pounds in a bid to prevent further attacks.
When the shutters were damaged in the ram raid incident, they were replaced.
But the shop's owners were distraught after receiving a letter from Mid Sussex District Council ordering them to remove the shutters because they failed to get planning permission.
Mr Brabakaran, who has lived in the UK since 1999, has now vowed to fight the planning enforcement notice.
He said: "Weekend evenings are the worst. Teenagers have always caused problems in the area."
He added: "It has been a very stressful and expensive experience but business has to go on."
The owners have now submitted retrospective planning permission in a bid to keep the shutters.
A Mid Sussex District Council spokesman declined to comment to The Argus.
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