Two would-be intruders were caught on video making a clumsy attempt to smash their way inside an Auckland barbershop, with the owner saying they could've just asked for a free haircut instead.
CCTV footage from Tareks Barbershop on Dominion Rd in Mount Eden showed two people approaching the business at around 6am on Wednesday and repeatedly striking one of its windows.
Owner Tarek said he first learned something was wrong after one of his employees called him early in the morning.
"When I checked the camera, I saw two boys coming. They tried breaking the window," he told 1News.
"I don't know why or for what reason they did that."
Footage showed one person repeatedly swinging what appeared to be a metal object at the glass, before another took over.
Despite their best efforts, neither were able to completely break through the window and eventually left the scene.
Tarek said the glass was badly damaged in the attempted break-in, but had held up relatively well.
"We've had things like this before," he said. "Sometimes people break the barber lights outside, and we've had cameras stolen as well. But this was really violent."
He said it was frustrating to see the shop damaged after years spent building the Tareks brand, which had expanded to multiple locations across Auckland.
But after watching the pair's unsuccessful efforts on CCTV, he was able to see the lighter side of the ordeal.
"I actually feel sorry for them," Tarek laughed.
"You guys couldn't break that glass, maybe you should find a job or something like that. It would be better in the future for them."
He joked the pair may have simply been particularly eager to get their hands on some of the barbershop's products.
"If they want it, they can come ask for a free cut. I will give them, it's fine," he added.
Police had been notified of the incident and investigations were underway, Tarek said.
The barbershop remained open despite the damaged window, with Tarek saying customers had appointments booked up so far in advance the business had no time to close.
"We open because we have lots of appointments already. It [the window] doesn't look good, but we open," he said.
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