Thieves broke into Lush in East Street overnight with rubbish, stock and baskets strewn across the shop floor leaving it in 'an absolute mess'.

'Thousands and thousands' of pounds worth of stock has been taken from shelves and store cupboards but the burglars were unable to get into the shop's safe or the till, which is left empty.

Store manager Sheryl Williams said: "It's like someone coming in to your home. We are all a bit shaken up — retail businesses are struggling as it is.

Staff members at the shop this morning.

"It's got to have been a couple of hours [they were in the shop] unless there were loads of them," Sheryl added.

"It seems that the most popular items have been targeted. No bath bombs have been taken. It seems like it was stolen to order.

"It was all things that sell quite well. Items worth between £20 and £80.

"It would have been quite a high sales day for us."

One emptied shelf

A rubbish bin in the shop's office has also been emptied onto the floor.

Baskets and cardboard boxes appear to have been use to pack up stock and a trail of beauty products leads out the back door of the premises leading towards Cooper Street.

The shop has not opened today and after a visit from police and staff now await the arrival of scene of crime officers (SOCO) to investigate.

Lush head office will aim to courier stock to the shop so it can open tomorrow.

Rubbish on the floor of the office

Minutes away, cigarettes, tobacco and cigars were stolen from independent family business Good News in St Martin's Street on Wednesday night at about 10pm.

Read the full story here: Thieves target independent Chichester businessA staff member at the Real Eating Company also confirmed they had been broken into in the early hours of Thursday.

Sussex Police has been approached for comment.

The alarm box had been removed