A devastated Baildon newsagent has been forced to shut his shop again after it was wrecked by a stolen car - just weeks after he opened the shop following last October's floods.

The newsagents, formerly known as the Greenery, was rammed by a red Vauxhall Nova which caused serious damage to a window and a wall.

John Taylor bought the shop, in Green Lane, last October, just days before floods wrecked local businesses and damaged houses.

It was managed by his former wife, Sandra, who has been left jobless by the latest calamity which took place in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Mr Taylor, 43, was just recovering after the floods caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Fighting back tears, Mrs Taylor, 45, said: "I am out of a job now. I just can't believe it. We had only just got back on our feet after the floods and for this to happen it's just too much."

Mr Taylor saw the damage at 5am when he went to open up the shop.

"I knew straight away what had happened. I knew it had been hit by something. I just thought: 'Not another problem, we've only just got over the last one'."

During the floods Sandra Taylor was stranded in the shop for five hours before she was rescued by a JCB truck.

Mr Taylor said: "You have insurance but you have to compromise and you do lose out. There were things I thought of afterwards but it was too late to claim. And then, of course, you have to build up trade again."

He lost £6,000 worth of stock in the floods last October.

A full-time software engineering student, he had bought the shop because he liked its location and size.

"We are a traditional community-based shop selling household items. What they hoped to gain from us is beyond me."

A police spokesman said the vehicle had been stolen in Shipley. He appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

"If anyone saw anything suspicious at about 3am, anyone running away from the scene of the incident, or involved with a red Vauxhall Nova, we would urge them to come forward and call Shipley Police on (01274) 537459."