A FAMILY whose business was burgled while they slept upstairs have become the latest victims in a spate of ‘smash and grabs’ along a much-loved shopping street.

Linda and John Bruce, of Linda Bruce Designs in Frinton’s Connaught Avenue, leapt out of bed when their front window was smashed, triggering the security alarm.

It was 4.45am on Tuesday when the couple – who live at home with their daughter and son-in-law – realised the shop downstairs had been broken into.

The thieves got into the jewellers through the electronic shutters before shattering the glass and making off with what they could just minutes later.

Mrs Bruce, who always locks the most valuable pieces in a safe, is unsure of her losses but believes the damage alone will total at least £1,000.

She said: “The silver jewellery you tend to leave in the shop window because it’s not valuable enough to worry about, and that’s what they took.

“The major problem is they’d broken the window and wrecked the display, and now we have the hassle of getting it repaired –it’s more an inconvenience.

“When we heard the window smash, we just leapt into action.

"All four of us were falling over each other and flew down the stairs to see what was happening.

“We didn’t think of our own safety, but by the time we got down it was too late.”

Without CCTV cameras outside the store, the family have no idea who targeted them.

Thieves who broke into Townrow and other stores on Connaught Avenue, in December, have still not been caught.

It was the first time Townrow had been burgled, but it happened two mornings in a row.

Glamorous fashion store, in nearby Fowlers Arcade, was also hit by raiders who snatched £5,000 worth of stock.

Mr and Mrs Bruce first suffered a similar break-in when they started trading in Connaught Avenue nearly 19 years ago.

Mrs Bruce said: “Since then we’ve had our shutters replaced with electronic ones and we thought they were secure.

"There have been quite a few windows broken on the Avenue over the last few weeks.

"I don’t know what’s been done about it all to be honest, but the police got here quite quickly.

“Fingerprints were taken from the glass and our local police officer is approaching other people to look at their CCTV footage so they’ve been absolutely brilliant.”

The shop will remain closed while repairs are carried out.

Police for Essex Police has inquiries are still ongoing.

Anyone with information about the break-in should call Essex Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.