The owner of a Waterford City hair salon says his business was ‘wiped out’ after an alleged attack on his premises this week.

Richard Hannigan, owner of Richard Hannigan’s Hair Design came to work on Tuesday morning to find his property flooded and over a thousand euro of tools stolen, after a skylight dome was smashed some time on Monday night.

It followed an instance last Thursday evening where a group of youths had been on the building roof, banging on the skylight.

Members of the Barrack Street community held a meeting in the city last night to discuss a response to the ongoing behavior.

Speaking to Eamonn Keane on ‘Deise Today’ he said this was different to anything he’s experienced before.

“I’ve been broken into five times in the last twenty four years that I’ve been here,” he told Eamonn, “If there’s any MO for a break-in… they usually come in, take the till, out through the window and they’re gone.”

He said this attack felt personal, “because they took all our tools, all our hair-dryers, they took all our brushes out of our sterilisers, all our GHD stock. It was said at the meeting last night that this was a clear point they were making.”

Crime Prevention Sergeant at Waterford City Garda Station, Finbarr O’Sullivan was in attendance at last night’s meeting.

He told WLR News that an investigation into the case has been launched and encouraged anyone with information to contact the station on 051 305 300.