Thirsty Finedon thieves help themselves to cash and a cuppa

Hairdressers The Salon @ 89 and Finedon Pizza in Wellingborough Road, which are semi-detached, were broken into in the early hours of Tuesday, June 18.

Hairdresser and salon owner Jean Hemsworth said: “The burglars broke into the neighbouring pizza shop by breaking the door, stole some money, some food, a set of screwdrivers and a large kitchen knife.

“Then they came down the alleyway and kicked in my back door.

“They stole the contents of my till and the petty cash, kicked in another internal door and smashed the lock on my filing cabinet.

“Whilst they were here they even made and drank two cups of tea.”

Mrs Hemsworth called the police whose forensic teams managed to find a partial finger print.

She added: “I was told the burglars were wearing gloves because police found fibres but even though the salon is covered by an internal CCTV system but the thieves stole that as well to cover their tracks.”

Security cameras covering the neighbouring fish and chip shop showed two people walking down an alleyway at approximately 2.10am and two people leaving at 2.35am.

Mrs Hemsworth, who estimates the cost of repairs will be about £1,000, said: “The whole of Finedon knows who these people are - they are causing nothing but terror.

“I’m not a nervous person but now if I hear a bang I nearly jump out of my skin.

“I don’t feel safe in my own salon and I’ve got two members of staff who are pregnant.

“I want these people to be dealt with appropriately, they have broken into at least three houses, thrown a brick through someone’s window, cut into vans and also broken into Crusty’s Sandwich Shop.”

Recently, Finedon Street Watch was launched with guidance from Northamptonshire Police.

Cllr Laurence Harper, chairman of Finedon Parish Council said: “I think we do have a spike in crime and will do until these individuals who are doing it are caught.

“We have a new street watch group which was formed coincidentally at the same time as a spike in crime.

“The members of the group have been waiting to finish their training and once completed they will patrol the streets with our PCSO.

“They will be there to observe not to intervene.”

He added: “In June, the council organised a Crime Prevention Presentation at the Town Hall but only nine people turned up.”

In Finedon, 145 crimes have been reported in the period from January 2019 to April 2019.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: “Levels of crime in Finedon are slightly down on last year so although we are not experiencing a crime spike in the area, we are taking these break-ins very seriously and continue to investigate them in order to bring the offenders to justice.”

Witnesses or anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.