BURGLARS have broken into and ransacked a York hair salon - and then raided it a second time and made off with both hairdressing equipment and Christmas decorations.

The intruders used a crowbar to get into Salon 33, in Yarburgh Way, Badger Hill, through the back door on Sunday night and in the early hours of Monday.

Owner Claire Hopwood said they stole a pair of GHD hair straighteners, colourings - both opened and unopened - professional clippers, hairdryers, Christmas decorations and also presents given to her by customers.

She said she had first been alerted to someone having broken in late on Sunday and she went down to the salon where she met police and discovered it had been trashed but without anything being taken.

They left after making the premises secure but she then discovered on Monday morning that the burglars had returned, and this time they had stolen hundreds of pounds worth of equipment.

She said she had been straight out and bought some replacement equipment and tidied up the salon, and was able to re-open it as normal yesterday.

Her daughter Eva Claire Lane urged anyone with any information to contact police, and also appealed for people to watch out for any professional salon items being sold on Facebook.

“Please report them if you have a feeling it may be dodgy,” she said, adding that the local community had pulled together to help her mother, and police had been very supportive.

She said officers were also feeling ‘pretty confident’ they would find those responsible after CCTV footage had been collected from neighbouring shops.

“Whoever has done this went in with a crow-bar through the back door, which is clearly visible from Hull Road, just between the Black Bull pub and the Hull Road roundabout between the hours of 1.30am-5/6am on Monday,” she said.

She added that the door had been securely boarded up and the business opened as usual yesterday.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed it had received two reports of break-ins at the salon, the first at 11pm on Sunday, in which damage had been caused, including to the door and door frame, and the second at 9.43am on Monday, in which cash and equipment had been stolen, including hairdryers.

A spokesman said officers had been conducting door to door inquiries and checking local CCTV footage.

He said anyone with information should phone 101, and quote crime reference number NYP- 08122019-0523, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.