Staff at a city-centre bar were gutted after discovering a "horrifying act" on CCTV footage.
Arts Bar Baltic, which opened earlier this month, had its new sign destroyed when a wagon mounted the pavement. Sharing pictures of the incident on Instagram, Arts Bar Baltic claims the driver left without an apology.
They said: "Gutted! We were so excited and filled with pride seeing this sign light up the night before we opened.
READ MORE: Nine red flags customers should always look out for when ordering a drink
"Like a moment of seeing it all come together. As a small business, it was not a cheap or easy task to undertake, but we understood the importance of making sure passers by could see us lit up on the street.
"This morning, a wagon mounted the pavement and smashed our sign off the wall. Could you believe it? They left without an apology or even just letting us know.
"Everyone's favourite fruit and veg man, Jed, had to come in and break the news to us. We have watched the CCTV back and saw the horrific act take place. The fire brigade came to see if they could save the day, but unfortunately, the sign could not be saved."
The post continues: "If you're passing by and see the scene of the crime, please know that we are still open, 8am 'til late, seven days a week. We are not closed. RIP to our new sign. Gone but never forgotten.
"Justice will prevail. Crowdfunder to follow. Please help spread the word with the hashtag: #Justicefortheartsbarbalticsign."
The bar's post was met with support from customers. One person said: "We drove past and saw the fire brigade up the ladders, absolutely gutted for you guys."
Someone else added: "Noooo!! I love that sign."
A spokesperson for Arts Bar Baltic told the ECHO: "While coming at a substantial cost, we understood the importance of making sure passers by could see us lit up on the street. Opening the venue was a huge expense and replacing the sign is not something we currently have in our budget.
"With the previous site being closed for a few months prior to us opening, we knew we would have to work hard to let people know we are here. We were so excited to see the sign light up before we opened, knowing it would be a great way for people to identify our location.
"The wagon mounted the pavement at a dangerous speed and took our sign off the wall bracket, left dangling by the electrical cable. The driver never came in to inform us, we were told by a separate delivery driver who was on the street at the time.
"Worried that the sign could fall and injure people passing by, we took considerable measures to make sure the footpath was closed off and made safe immediately, until the sign was safely and expertly brought down by the Merseyside fire brigade."
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT:
Shows coming to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall this summer including comedy and live music
Tesco Clubcard users warned it's 'closing' and given April deadline
- Matalan fans praise 'perfect' and 'flattering' £13 jumpsuit
Liverpool man crowned 'chef of the year' at prestigious awards
Woman 'shocked' after neighbour asked if her children could use her garden
