POLICE are investigating after a hairdressing and beauty salon was ransacked during a burglary in Newry.
It happened at the Beyond Vanity premises at the Fiveways on the Armagh Road some time between noon on Thursday and noon on Monday.
The door of the salon was badly damaged and the shop ransacked and a significant number of items stolen, including a laptop and beauty products.
Writing on Facebook, the salon's owner Sonya Donnelly said a cash drawer, CCTV equipment and staff tip jars containing cash were also taken.
"It's terrible that not only has our livelihood been on hold due to the pandemic, but there are people out there taking advantage of the fact that we are closed for periods of time due to Covid," she said.
She said that those responsible "have no consideration of how tough times are for small businesses, especially when we have not been able to trade".
A police spokeswoman said enquiries are continuing and police would appeal to anyone with any information to contact them.
Sinn Féin assembly member Liz Kimmins said: "Another hard-working businesswoman left devastated to find her salon completely ransacked and a significant amount of expensive items taken.
"Businesses are on their knees trying to survive the impact of this pandemic, in the hope that brighter days are ahead, yet these thugs think it is ok to kick people when they are down."
She added that "no-one deserves this especially in the times we are living in".
