TWO fed-up Blackburn shopkeepers, who have had their windows smashed a total of 13 times this year, are asking the police for more protection.

Linda O'Keefe and Sharon Stanley think that the vandals who are targeting their Mill Hill shops have cost them a total of £3,000 in eight months.

Linda, 54, who runs the Bar-b-Que Chicken shop in New Chapel Street has had her windows smashed five times since January.

She said: "Every time this has happened I have called the police.

"I have begged them to patrol the area more. My friend across the road has had her windows smashed eight times as well and they have never even turned up to see us about it."

Across the road in Mill Hill Street Sharon, 47, is just waiting for the vandals to strike again. She said: "We haven't been targeted since the last Bank Holiday weekend, touch wood.

"It is usually at the weekend, you worry about opening up on Saturday morning."

And the women claim that CCTV cameras recently installed in the area have not helped them. "The week after they were switched on, they came and put my windows in again."

Linda is worried that the cost of replacement windows will drive her out of business. "It is only a little shop, I just can't afford it. I pay £1,000 a year in rates and you don't get any protection."

Coun Andy Kay said: "The CCTV cameras in Mill Hill were paid for by the Community Regeneration Zone and as such any decisions on where they were located would have been made with the input of local residents. If Mrs O'Keeffe suffers any further vandalism she should continue to notify the police who will investigate."

A police spokeswoman said: "If traders report incidents to us as and when they happen we will do our utmost to investigate them. Also, if people are not reporting incidents in the area, for whatever reason, we would ask them to contact us as we need to know the full extend of the problem."