REGRETFUL vandals who damaged a seating area at a new Largs eatery stunned owners when they contacted them and offered to pay for the damage.

Jim Stewart, 63, and partner Margaret Muir, 56, were shocked to discover benches and tables outside their diner Indigo Eats had been wrecked just a day after opening.

The couple, who only recently took over the former Cafe Guzzi and Toby's Bar in Gallowgate Street, put out an online appeal after capturing the culprits on CCTV - prompting the group to apologise and volunteer to pay for a new table.

Jim said: "It was quite a shock and we put footage on social media showing what had happened.

"Two of the benches were vandalised. When I came in on the Sunday one was lying on the road in bits and the other was smashed.

"The shop next door had captured what happened on their security cameras. It showed four guys had damaged the benches and then I got a call from one of them. He was really sheepish and said he was sorry.

"He came in to see me, apologised and shook my hand. He paid for the damage and the matter is at a close but I now chain up the benches as a safety measure."

Jim said that al fresco dining had proved very popular during the warm weather and insisted they wouldn't let one incident spoil things for others.

Jim said: "We are actually hoping to add some parasols and a drinks licence in place to sell alcohol soon. It won't be a pub though, it is a civilised thing with a meal to have a glass of wine or a beer.

"We also hope to start doing live music when it is safe to do so.

"We are also looking at possibly having barbecues later in the summer to offer something different as you can't beat that smell when you are walking along the seafront."

The ex-pat couple opened Indigo Eats after 'heading home' from Spain to follow their dream of opening a restaurant on Largs seafront.

The couple were running a successful cafe abroad but fell in love with Largs during a visit to Scotland in February.

The premises are owned by Largs businessman John Corrigan, who had been looking for a new tenant after Cafe Guzzi closed last year.

Jim, however, says he is hoping to provide some stability.

He added: "We love the town already and we are hoping to be here for a long time to come."