Salon locks in staff after masked men hammer attack

A salon owner and her staff have resorted to locking themselves in after two men smashed their windows in what was thought to be a "targeted" attack.

The Lash Lounge in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, was first hit on 13 November when bricks were thrown at its windows.

Owner Sarah Clay assumed it was a random attack until Tuesday, when two masked men were seen smashing the windows again.

Nottinghamshire Police said inquiries were ongoing to trace the suspects.

Ms Clay, 42, said Beeston had "suddenly turned into not a very nice place to be" in recent weeks amid what she described as a spate of antisocial behaviour.

Ms Clay said she and her staff had been left " very nervous"

Having worked closely with the local community, the business owner said she could not understand why someone would want to target the salon.

"We don't know them. We've not upset anybody as far as I'm concerned," she said.

"We're all really nervous. I'm very nervous and very stressed at the moment.

"All the doors are being locked, we're locking ourselves in."

Ms Clay had the windows repaired for about £2,000 in November, but she said she would have to spend up to a further £8,000 to have them repaired again and to install metal shutters.

It is believed the offenders headed toward the town centre after smashing the windows with what were believed to be hammers, police said.

Insp Usha Madaraa, from the Broxtowe neighbourhood policing team, said the incidents were being treated as possibly being linked and extra patrols had been arranged.

"These incidents have caused a great deal of distress to the salon owner, and we are doing everything we can to find those responsible," she said.