A BUSINESSMAN said he could be ‘forced out of town’ after a spate of attempted break-ins at his salon.

Nigel Womack has run Nigel’s Cutting Shop, in Town Hall Street, Blackburn for 32 years, but said he is at ‘the end of his tether’ after being broken into for the second time in a month.

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The 63-year-old said he has had a number of problems with vandals breaking the windows of his salon.

He has called for Blackburn with Darwen Council to allow him to install shutters to protect his windows.

The father-of-three said:”I want 100 per cent protection. I need some sort of shutters in place.

“If this keeps on going I’m going to be forced out of town.

“I’d love to stay buy I’m at the end of my tether.

“I’m very upset about it all, I’m living in fear.

“I’ve got a lot of positive memories of the town but they’re being soured. I’m going to be left with no choice but to move.”

Mr Womack said applied to the council for planning permission to install shutters around five years ago, but the plans were rejected.

He said: “I’ve spoke to people at the council five or six times since, but I just get told we’ll see what we can do, and then they come back and say I’m not allowed because it’ll spoil the appearance of the outside.

“I’m only allowed them on the inside.”

The £2,000 damage to the door and side windows in the latest attack was caught on CCTV.

Police confirmed reports of two incidents at the premises over the last month.

A spokesman said: “We are investigating two incidents of criminal damage at the salon. I urge anyone with information to call police on 101.”

A council spokesman said: “The council recognises business owners may choose to install shutters to protect their properties and officers have met Mr Womack to discuss designs sympathetic to the buildings on Town Hall Street.”