It is thought that revellers, possibly using paintballing equipment, went on a mini rampage of the square splattering the windows at some point during the weekend.

Buyrite, Clarks shoes, Going Places, Costa Coffee and Boots all took a hit as a result of the vandals.

Anita Checkley of Buyrite in the square labelled it as an 'inconvenience' to her day.

She said: "I had to close early to try and get it off the window. It encroached on my working day. I'm busy enough really without having to clean the windows too.

"I don't think it was anything malicious though, they were probably just bored and messing about."

Joseph Baconnet, town centre manager for Kenilworth, said: "I'm afraid I take a very medieval view of this sort of mindless, destructive vandalism. It's hurtful, causes distress, wastes time and costs money.

"It wasn't just the windows that were affected because some of the paint was on the floor and then people were walking it in on the carpets of the shops which is another issue completely. It is just a nuisance for people. I don't think it was meant harmfully but it just adds to people's time and people here are busy enough."

He added: "If my information is correct then I believe this was paintball paint which means one of two things - either someone spent a large amount of time throwing paintballs at premises or they actually took a paintball gun into the square.

"In terms of the CCTV, the camera at the entrance to the square will probably have been looking at the public highway rather than the square itself as it will have been monitoring the road and the route between the pubs."

Insp Richard Woodcock of Kenilworth police said: "There does not appear to be any CCTV evidence on this occasion and we would be grateful of any information or witnesses.

"We shall be paying extra attention to the area under Operation Guardian initiatives."