A MERESIDE hairdresser was left "devastated" after her business was destroyed by flooding this week-- believed to have been caused by mindless burglars.

Debbie Gilmour, who owns Snipper Clips on Langdale Place, was shocked to discover her shop flooded out and in ruins when she went to open up on Monday morning.

It is thought that burglars had broken into the flat above the shop and left taps running.

Mrs Gilmour said that the shop was swimming with water and all the electrical equipment and hairdryers had been ruined along with all her stock.

"The ceiling was just pouring with water. All the electrics had gone. Everything was gone," she said.

The library next door to the salon was also flooded with damage to the ceiling and books.

"It's all right for the library. They've got the council to tidy it up for them. I've been left to sort it out myself. I just wanted to sit in a corner and cry my eyes out " she said.

Since Mrs Gilmour opened the salon in October last year she has been burgled once and had another flood -- in November -- yet again from the flat upstairs after a burglary.

"That time wasn't as bad. We got it all cleaned up and my husband replaced all the tiles that had been ruined and we got it back to how it had been.

"But this time it's just ruined. My whole business is ruined. I've only been open a few months and I've been building up customers. Now people will go elsewhere.

"I've been having to ask them for their phone numbers and offering to come to their house to do their hair. They've been queuing up to use the sunbed and I've had to send them away.

"The salon's going to be shut down for at least a month. My mum's put all her pension money into the business for me, helping me to set it up," she said.

She said that her salon was not the only business to suffer from damage on the estate. A dentist's surgery was set on fire and the dentist had to move to another area.

Coun Michael Carr, who represents the Mereside area, said that the dentist had been the only one on the estate. He said that new measures to improve security on the estate were going to be implemented but said details would not be released until the end of the week.

But Mrs Gilmour said that the majority of people on the estate were lovely and eager to help.

"At first, when I saw the state of the shop I wondered why I bothered and then I realised that it's because I love it here.

'Through the course of the day there were so many people asking to help and coming up and giving me a hug and bringing me cups of tea."

Coun Carr said that the council had measures in place to protect business owners on the estate from troublesome tenants living above their shops.

"New tenants in council housing have a six month trial period. If they misbehave during that time they can be evicted without a court order," he said.