A HAIRDRESSER said today she has been forced out of business after being targeted by thieves and vandals.

Jacqueline Walsh, owner of Masterpiece, in Ballantrae Road, Blackburn, said repeated requests to Blackburn with Darwen Council to repair damaged security shutters were ignored despite a series of break-ins on the rest of the shops on her row.

And this week Jacqueline, who rents the shop from the council, had her worst fears realised when her shop was broken into twice.

She said: "All the shop owners had been asking for shutters because the current ones are no good. They are rusty and coming away from the wall but the council said it had no money and then this happens. I have had enough, the stress of it all is making me ill and in the new year I am leaving which is a real shame. You don't spend four years building your business up just to walk away but I can't carry on."

The break-ins, the first Jacqueline has suffered, have cost the hairdresser hundreds of pounds and were the deciding factor on her quitting. Blackburn with Darwen Council today pledged to replace the shutters although insisted security was a matter for tenants.

She said security had become an increasing worry with customers afraid to visit the shop at night fearing their car would be damaged or even stolen.

The first break-in happened on Tuesday night when thieves gained entrance through a recently-fitted extractor fan taking money and the CD player before trashing the place. Jacqueline said: "They sprayed graffiti all over the walls and even tried to flood the shop by stuffing towels in the sink and leaving the water in."

Jacqueline, who employs three people including her mother, cleaned the place up but still lost £300 in business. On Friday her misery was compounded when vandals struck again.

She said: "They didn't get in this time but smashed the windows sending glass all over the place, it was a complete wreck. I lost £150 alone in the morning because I had to turn people away.

"At this time of year people want their hair done for special occasions but I have had to send them somewhere else and it will be very hard to get them back. It makes life hard for the business owners.

"It feels like that as soon as I build the business up someone comes along and kick me in the teeth. It doesn't give people faith in setting up on the own."

Debbie Howard, acting inspector with Blackburn Police, confirmed the incidents and said work was being done with the council to tackle all crime hot spots throughout East Lancashire.

She said: "There are on-going initiatives and we would look at problems like this to see what we could do."

Trevor Bishop, property strategy manager at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We are aware that there have been a number of break-ins and have acted immediately to arrange repairs following notification of an incident. An order for repair was made first thing this morning following last night's break-in at the hairdressers and this will include installing more secure shutter locks.

"Tenants are responsible for the security of their premises, however, for goodwill we have arranged repairs for break-ins."