BURGLARS are targeting beauty businesses across Blackburn, police have warned.

In response police are visiting hairdressers and beauty salons in the area and giving owners security advice, including only displaying dummy straighteners.

It comes as officers have released CCTV footage of a thief smashing his way into Hair Studio on Preston New Road and taking items.

He is described as a white man, aged around 30, with a balding head and glasses.

If you have any information, contact 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting log number LC-20190126-1552.

Insp Martyn Holt said: “We are aware of an increase in salons being targeted overnight by burglars and we are doing all we can to combat it.

“We are following up all lines of enquiry from a forensic point of view.

"We need the public to report anything suspicious.

“We have had officers going out and visiting as many salons as possible to give them face-to-face advice, like not leaving money in the till and storing expensive hair dryers and straighteners in a secure place.

“If business owners want the neighbourhood team to visit them contact us via 101 or via http://socsi.in/9gqz0.”

A police spokesman added: “There has been an increase in break-ins at hairdressers and beauty salons within the Blackburn area.

"We would like to take this opportunity to pass on some security advice in relation to these incidents.

"The straighteners and other products that the salons use and sell are very expensive and cost a lot to replace.

"In relation to straighteners, please only display dummy models and try not to keep any stock in the shop where possible, and if appropriate please put signs up to advise of this.

“With beauty treatments and shampoos, try to keep stock at a minimal level without the risk of losing sales, genuine customers will be happy to wait a few days for any items to be ordered and delivered.

“Check all the access points within your property to ensure that it is as secure as possible and to remove all keys and window keys from display.

"Ensure that all takings are removed at the end of trading and if possible leave the till open to show that all monies have been removed, and again place a notice in the salon to advise that no money is kept on the premises.”