BURGLARS who smashed their way through shops in Worcester city centre disguised themselves as BINMEN to carry out one of the raids, CCTV footage has revealed.

Security footage shows burglars dressed in dark clothing looking through the window at Avant Garde hairdressers, in St Martin's Quarter, before going away and returning wearing hi-vis clothing and carrying a black wheelie bin.

The footage shows two people break through the window, grabbing the items they want before stashing the stolen goods inside the bin and making off round the back of Costa coffee.

The burglary took less than 60 seconds and was one of several attacks on shops and hairdressers in a spree overnight into Tuesday morning.

Ian Beswick, who owns Avant Garde, said: "We have got some really good footage.

"They are in normal clothing and they identify the straighteners and hairdryers they want by looking at them through the window.

"They head off round the back of Costa and come back dressed in hi-vis with a wheelie bin.

"They use part of the chain fencing from outside the bed shop to break the window.

"It took them a long time to go through the window but after that they were in and out within 60 seconds.

"They load up the wheelie bin and that's as long as it takes them."

The break-in happened between 3am and 3.30am on Tuesday.

Inspector Brian Gibbs, of West Mercia Police, says officers are conducting thorough investigations into a number of retail burglaries carried out on the same night to see if they are linked.

He said offenders broke into Lidl a few hours earlier, between 11pm and midnight on Boxing Day, and stole bottles of alcohol.

Mobile phones were stolen from Carphone Warehouse, in High Street, between 11.30pm and 11.40pm that night after thieves forced their way in through the main doors.

Assorted hair products and equipment were stolen from another hair salon, Elevation Hair, in Astwood Road between 2.30am and 8.30am on Tuesday.

A television was stolen from Halfords in Blackpole Road on the Elgar Retail Park, between 2.30am and 3.30am on Tuesday.

A door was also damaged at the Clarks shoe shop in High Street, overnight, though no entry was gained and nothing was stolen.

Shop owners say police have already told them a footprint of a distinctive Nike trainer was found at more than one of the stores.

And Michelle Goodwin, who owns Elevation, said burglars had dropped Avant Garde gift vouchers in her shop.

Mr Beswick said: "The police have got good footprints and they've taken DNA swabs.

"They have done too much to get away with it. They will get caught at some point.

"The police were great.

"They were there really quickly and the forensic lady was brilliant."

Mr Beswick said he did not know how much the break-in would cost but added: "It's a shame.

"Everybody works hard and people feel they can take what they want and don't have to work for it but they will get caught one day.

"It is part of the retail world and we will just crack on."

Anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity or has any information about the incidents should call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.