Xmas present thieves target straighteners

Three hairdressers have been the target of break-ins over the past two weekends, with thieves smashing windows or forcing doors at the rear of the properties, and police are now urging salons to tighten security where possible.

On Monday (28) staff arrived for work at a salon on Tickhill Road, Maltby, to find that burglars had broken in and stolen hair straighteners, cameras, laptop computers and mobile phones.

The previous weekend — October 19 to October 21 — there was one burglary and one attempted burglary at salons in Rotherham town centre and Rawmarsh.

Again, hair straighteners were stolen.

Hair straighteners are particularly sought after by thieves at this time of year, officers from South Yorkshire Police said, as they are a popular choice of Christmas gift.

Crime reduction officer Eamonn Larkin said there were various steps that businesses could take to protect themselves from such burglaries.

He said: “Access is often gained by attacking a rear window or door at ground level.

“When the premises are empty, fire doors should be locked and windows should be secured by means of a key-operated window lock.

“Ideally, single glazed windows should be fitted with laminated glass and also protected externally with grilles.”

Mr Larkin added that dustbins should be stored away from the main building and secured, while sheds or outbuildings should not contain any items that could be used to gain entry to the main building.

Salons have also been advised to mark valuable items such as hair straighteners, so that if they are stolen and recovered they can be returned to their rightful owners.