A LOVEBIRD parrot died from shock – leaving its partner heartbroken – after vandals smashed a pet shop window.

Yobs struck at the Pet Shop in Nelson in the early hours of Tuesday. The attack caused one of a pair of Fischer's lovebirds – a type of small parrot – to drop dead from the stress of the incident.

Its mate has been squawking loudly since the incident – and shop owner Emma Foster is now worried for the nine-month-old male.

The 42-year-old said: “There were two of the birds and they were together and are usually a pair for life.

"If one dies usually the other one dies of a broken heart.

“The remaining one is so distressed. It is so hard to watch as he is so upset.

“It is hard for me too as you get attached to the animals. They become part of your family.

“When I got into the shop after it happened there were quite a few birds who were upset – there were lots of feathers on the bottom of the cage. It must have been traumatic for them.

“It really deflates you with the damage caused but it is not the first time and it will not be the last."

Mrs Foster, who has been running the shop for three-and-a-half years and got a call to say the front window was smashed at 3.45am on November 12.

The mum-of-six has now had the front window repaired and says that she is determined to catch the culprit.

She said: “We have got our own CCTV footage from the incident but only looks as if someone kicks something in.

“But we also have camera footage from one of the other businesses and it shows someone walking across to our shop and then throwing something at the window and then running off."

Mrs Foster said footage shows the man running around the corner and getting into a Vauxhall Zafira or Volkswagen Touran and driving off.

The incident has been reported to police. Call 101.