A SHOP owner is heartbroken after a van was driven into the front of her salon 'three times'.

The owner of The Highlight Lounge in Wright Street, Horwich, has been left devastated after the van rammed into her shop on Friday evening.

After leaving the salon just an hour before, Bekii Edge, 26, was called back to the business at 9pm to reports the hair and beauty salon had been smashed into by a van.

She arrived to see police vans and cars lining the street, and her shop front caved in.

The shutter had been crushed, the door and windows broken and the wall knocked down.

Ms Edge said: “I’m heartbroken, I’ve done nothing but cry.

“I feel violated, it feels like a little part of you has been taken away.

"You work so hard for someone to spoil it.

"We opened this shop to better ourselves and it’s been ruined.”

Ms Edge said that police believe the van crashed into the shopfront at least three times, but the owner has no idea who could have done it or why.

She said: “I’m working here for 12 and 13 hour days, I don’t have time to make enemies. I just don’t know who could have done it.

“It feels targeted, but have they just got the wrong person?”

Staff had to break in through the back window to get inside the premises after the front was destroyed.

They discovered that, although there was damage, nothing had been taken from the shop.

The building is now without gas and electricity, also leaving two residents who live above The Highlight Lounge without power.

Ms Edge and her four members of staff will now have to wait until Monday to find out how long repairs will take.

Ms Edge added: “The worst part is, I can’t do anything until my insurance company assesses it.

“I just have to wait in limbo.

“They don’t realise how many people’s lives they’ve disturbed. They have inconvenienced a lot of people in Horwich and they might do it again.”

The damage is even more heartbreaking for the young businesswoman as she used inheritance left to her by her grandfather to establish the shop.

Ms Edge said: “I’m just devastated. I invested that money into it, the shop is my pride and joy. It’s always been a happy salon and our clients are more like friends.”

The salon opened around 18 months ago and has established a long list of clients, but some appointments have been forced to be cancelled due to the damage.

But Ms Edge says the local community rallied around her in the hours after the shocking incident.

While she gets the store back to its former glory, nearby salon All Dolled Up salon in Chorley New Road has offered to host Ms Edge and her clients.

Ms Edge said: “So many people have been offering to help, it’s amazing to see the community and businesses come together.

“We’ve had offers from plasterers to come in and help too.”

Greater Manchester Police are now appealing for anyone with information and the salon staff are asking if anyone has CCTV or dashcam footage.

A spokesman for GMP said: “Shortly before 8.35pm on Friday, police were called to Wright Street in Horwich, Bolton, to reports of criminal damage.

“Offenders drove a van into a shop.

“No arrests have been made.

“Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting incident number 2942 of 26/07/19. Information can be passed on anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”