THIEVES stole a car and caused £1,000 worth of damage in a spate of break-ins on Canvey.

Police are investigating after two business, Fortuna Stores, in Maurice Road, and Shapes and Curls Hairdressers, in the High Street, were targeted.

Burglars smashed their way into the hairdressers sometime between 8pm on Thursday and 6am on Friday.

Paperwork was strewn across the salon floor before the thieves made their way to the flat upstairs, stealing a set of keys to a Vauxhall Astra parked outside.

Salon owner, Susan Slater, said: “I’m so angry, my son and daughter-in-law live upstairs and when they came down at 8pm it was fine but by morning someone had kicked the door in.

“There was paperwork just everywhere and theywent up the stairs to the flat and took my daughter-in-laws keys and her car.

“It’s pathetic, she has two young children and my son has only just come out of hospital.

She needs that car to get to work every day.

“The frustrating thing is the only things they took from the salon were our tip pots, it’s ridiculous.”

Fortuna Stores was also targeted at around 11.30pm on Thursday.

The door was kicked in, causing £1,000 worth of damage.

Simon Carter, who runs the business, said: “The shop has been here since the 1920s, it’s pretty old and creaking at the seams. We’ve got two Chubb locks but they just kicked it in.

The glass was smashed and the door frame. It’s going to cost me £1,000 to fix.

“It’s a sorry mess at the moment. We’ve been here nearly 12 years and there’s been incidents like this every year.”

It is unknown if the crimes are connected, but both Mr Carter and Mrs Slater have called for the streetlights to be switched back on as a result of the incidents.

Mrs Slater said: “If the streetlights were on this wouldn’t be happening. People wouldn’t be out if they thought they could be seen.”

Mr Carter added: “The streets going dark at midnight has had a massive impact. It’s pitch black out there and perfect for people wandering about who are looking to break into people’s houses or cars or the shops.

“It’s just common sense, if it was well-lit there would be less trouble. Putting the lights back on is one thing, but there needs to be a police presence. If people thought a police car was round the corner it would act as a deterrent.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Essex Police on 101.

THE break-ins are the latest in a spree of crime on the island.

On Friday, May 15, Exclusive Fabrics, in Canvey Road, was burgled for the second time in two weeks.

Thieves smashed down the door and took the replacement till, forcing the owner to change the locks again.

The incident was part of a spate of overnight burglaries, where two takeaways in Long Road were broken into, with small amounts of cash taken.

The Co-op in High Road, Benfleet, and an electrical store in London Road, Benfleet, were also targeted.

Boy racers returned to Canvey on Saturday, May 16, causing havoc on Roscommon Way and racing until 2am.

A fire was deliberately set outside a mum’s house in Mornington Road on Tuesday, May 12.

Days earlier vandals slashed car tyres on First Avenue, Second Avenue and Maple Way.

Car windows were also smashed in nearby roads and vandals caked a car that was parked in Second Avenue in icing sugar and tomato sauce.

Five homes were targeted overnight on Monday, May 4 with burglars smashing their way through front doors in Ferrymead, Central Avenue and Brindles.

Money and car keys were taken from some of the properties.