A BARBER shop owner has hit out at a lurking thief who targeted her business when she briefly stepped out.

Ashlee McCarthy, who owns Hair To Stay Barbers, in Clayhill Road, Basildon, said she no longer feels safe in her own shop after the crook struck on Tuesday.

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Angry - Ashlee McCarthy, of Hair To Stay

As the sole owner and employee, Ashlee is responsible for maintaining and running the store.

CCTV obtained by the Echo shows when the owner briefly stepped outside her stop to paint her facade, a man wearing a baseball cap and a tracksuit entered.

Less than 20 seconds later, he can be seen leaving.

He stole her brand new iPhone XR from behind the counter.

The 31 year old, from Basildon, said: “I was on my own and had just stepped outside to paint, he must’ve came in the store only two seconds after me and went straight behind the counter to take my phone.

“The phone was right next to my money tin, so I’m surprised he didn’t take that as well.

“He must’ve been watching me the whole time, I don’t know how long for, which is quite scary but I didn’t even notice him there.

“I’ve worked hard to get the business to where it is. I’ve owned it for five years and you don’t expect some scumbag to come in and steal from behind the counter.

“I only got the phone last week. Now I’ve been left with a three year phone contract and no phone.”

After realising the phone was gone, Ashlee checked the CCTV straight away.

She added: “I first thought I’d left it in Homebase, so I called them but it wasn’t there.

“I was a mess when I realised. I was absolutely sobbing and I’ve hardly slept. You could see in the footage he was looking out of the front door of the shop to see if I was coming.

“I was devastated, it was only two years ago when one of my customers broke in and took our till. Luckily, it only had £15 in it, I don’t usually leave anything lying around.

“People have said to me I was lucky I didn’t realise he was in there, I would’ve gone in thinking he was a customer and anything could’ve happened.

Call Essex Police on 101 with information, citing crime number 42/35299/19.

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