MANDY SMITH
A Waipukurau hair-salon owner is throwing up her hands after her store was burgled not once, not twice, but three times in five weeks.
Thieves broke into Ultimo Hair and Beauty Studio overnight on Thursday and snatched $5000 worth of products. That's despite owner Lynda Ballisat upping security following burglaries
on September 1 and 2, when thieves emptied the store of items such as hair products, clippers and cameras.
"It sucks," she said. "It's the third time in a month they've cleaned us out ... I can't do much more apart from putting up bars everywhere." Thieves jemmied new restraint stays on a rear window to enter the Ruataniwha Street store on Thursday night.
Spooked by the newly-installed alarm, they tried to smash it before rushing to the front of the store, grabbing the products and scrambling out the back door.
Ms Ballisat noticed the damage when she arrived at work about 5.45am on Friday.
"The back door was wide open, one of the windows was slightly ajar and product was littered around the salon," she said.
If thieves targeted the store again, Ms Ballisat said she would have trouble claiming insurance.
She had owned the business for 12 years, and never had a problem until last month.
"I did feel like shutting the door, but there are other people depending on me."
Sergeant Ross Gilbert, of Waipukurau police, said it was "undoubtedly" the same group targeting the salon. Once they burgled a store, realised there were no alarms and that they could not be seen at the point of entry, they were highly likely to return.
Now Ms Ballisat had installed alarms, "there really is only so much she can do".
"Putting bars over rear windows is the only other option, so even if they jemmy the window they still can't get in." Entry through the front was less likely because it faced the street.
No other Central Hawke's Bay hair salons had been targeted.
Police want to hear from anyone approached by people selling PPS and Californian Tan products.
