Burglars smashed their way into a hair salon and stole days of workers’ wages in the latest in a string of raids at businesses.

Three hooded youths were caught on CCTV raiding Hair Candi in London Road, Benfleet, in the early hours of Thursday.

CCTV footage captured them peering in through a window before smashing it and then stealing £400 from the tills and a charity box for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

They then broke into the office at the back of the salon and stole a Samsung Galaxy tablet.

Beauty therapist Samantha Higgins, 40, said: “We turned up to work in the morning and the window was smashed and there was glass everywhere.

“Luckily the place wasn’t completely ransacked, but they had taken a few days takings from the till.

“It’s gutting to come in and someone has taken the money earnt for that week.

“We’re certainly not going to keep money in the tills overnight any more.

“On the CCTV we could see there were three of them. They looked like they were in their late teens. They had Adidas tracksuits with the hoods pulled up over their faces.”

This is the second time in a week that a hair salon was broken into in the district.

On Friday, October 9, thieves caused thousands of pounds of damage after breaking into Funky Buddha House of Hair as well as Yummy House Chinese takeaway, Kai’s Kitchen and Chutney Tandoori, all in Canvey High Street. Earlier in the week, burglars raided at least four businesses in London Road and Kiln Road in Thundersley, stealing money from tills and charity boxes.

Sgt Mark McQuade, at Canvey police station, said: “I urge businesses to take their floats home.

We have even been giving signs out for businesses to put up saying they don’t leave money on the premises, but some of them haven’t been putting them up.”

Essex Police said the raid was between 4am and 4.20am.

Anyone with information can call Essex Police on 101.