TWO people have been arrested following a series of overnight break-ins.

Shop owners at Darcy’s Sweet Shop, Caffe Sala, Regis Hairdressers and now a nail bar in Eld Lane, Colchester, have all had their businesses hit by a gang.

Darcy’s and Caffe Sala were targeted on Sunday morning, while the nail bar had its window smashed overnight on Monday.

Regis Hairdressers had been hit the week before.

Jamie Milleare, owner of Darcy’s Sweet Shop, spent Monday trying to chase down the culprits, who he thought he recognised from CCTV footage.

He said: “I went into town to see if I could find the guys who did it.

“We walked around for about two hours and couldn’t find them, but as we were walking towards The Purple Dog they walked past me.”

Jamie claims to have recognised two people from the CCTV footage from his shop, as they were wearing the same clothes.

He added: “I confronted them, we had a row and it got a bit heated but they ran away towards Argos, then to Priory Street.

“The police turned up with a dog, but we lost them.”

About an hour later he and a friend saw the two people he believed were responsible and chased them to Wilko in St John’s Walk.

He added: “We blocked both entrances to the car park there.

“Police turned up again but they had gone, then I saw them running across Southway and police got to them and arrested them.

“There were about four of them in the CCTV, so there’s still two on the loose.”

CCTV footage from Darcy’s shows a group trying the doors to a number of shops, smashing the glass to reach in and unlock them.

The glass front door to Caffe Sala was also smashed in and raiders looked through the till. Seeing it was empty, they instead made off with the staff’s tips.

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed two people have been arrested in connection with a series of incidents in Eld Lane.

She said: “We received reports that a window and door had been damaged at Darcy’s Traditional Sweet Shoppe overnight on July 28.

“Damage had also been caused to Caffe Sala, where money was also stolen.

“A 28-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage."

The pair have been released on bail until August 19. No charges have been made.