THE owner of a Canvey shop fears crime is out of control on the island after her shop was burgled twice in a short space of time.

Exclusive Fabrics, a curtain and blind business in Canvey Road, suffered a break-in on Friday, less than three weeks after having its first robbery in 48 years.

The front door was smashed and the makeshift till, a replacement after their real till was stolen before, was taken.

Only a small float had been left in the till, but shop owner Julie, who did not want to give her surname, was left changing the locks and replacing the front door for the second time in weeks.

She said: “It is so frustrating and worrying and an invasion of your privacy.

This is the place I work. I come here every day, it is not a nice feeling.

“We’d been here for so long and nothing happened, then all of a sudden we get broken into twice in a few weeks – something has changed on the island.

“Once it happens to you, everyone tells you what’s been happening to them.

“We can’t put it all on the police because of the cuts they’ve had, but someone should get their act together and sort it out.”

The incident was part of a spate of overnight burglaries in south Essex during the past week. On May 13, two takeaways were broken into in Long Road, Canvey, with small amounts of cash being taken.

The Co-op in High Road, Benfleet, was targetted on the same night as Exclusive Fabrics and an electrical store in London Road was also burgled.

The next night, a pub in Rochfordwas targeted and a charity collection box was stolen, while on Sunday night or Monday morning, a takeaway in Hockley was broken into and large drums of cooking oil stolen.

Inspector Fergus Caulfield said: “We are concerned about this level of overnight crime and the effects it can have on businesses.

“Even though the value of items stolen may not seem considerable in some cases, it does take time to repair the premises. There is potentially lost trading and repairs can cost hundreds if not thousands of pounds.”

Anyone with information can call Essex Police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.