BOSSES Elena and Russell Brown today vowed it was 'business as usual' after the window of their new restaurant was broken.

The couple found that the main pane of the Sienna restaurant at the top of High West Street had been smashed when they opened up in the morning.

Now they are counting the cost of boarding up the badly cracked window and replacing the glass.

Mrs Brown, who opened the Sienna with chef Russell in April, said: "We saw what had happened when we went to open up at 8.30am.

"It is a nuisance and we are disappointed but we are still open for business and carrying on."

She added: "It was a reasonably-sized window and won't be cheap to replace, but these things happen."

Mr and Mrs Brown found the window broken early on August 16 when they came to open up for the weekend.

The blow came as business was booming after they moved into the former tobacconist and sweet shop where the Dorchester Ungaretti chocolates were made. The breakage was the eighth in Dorchester town since June 1 of this year compared with seven over the same period in 2002.

The incident came after police used DNA evidence to arrest and charge a man for smashed windows at the Argos shop in Trinity Street earlier this year.

Insp Andy Mason, of Dorchester Police, appealed for witnesses to the attack on the Sienna restaurant.

He said: "Incidents involving shop windows are still relatively rare in Dorchester and we want to keep it that way.

"Closed circuit television cameras in Weymouth have proved time again how valuable they are in indentifying the people responsible for this kind of thing."

He added that the street near Sienna would have been busy on the night and for anyone with information to get in touch.

Witnesses and anyone with information are urged to call Dorchester Police on 01305 251212 and Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.