Their haul was minimal, fleeing the scene with a jar containing only five dollars.

Nonetheless, the commercial laundry is one of three businesses (along with Tyrepower and Gym at SWR) in South West Rocks to have been violated by reprobates seeking whatever cash they can get their hands on.

Owner of the South West Rocks Laundry Service Naomi Akhurst says she is concerned about the increase of this type of crime in the area.

"It's starting to escalate," Mrs Akhurst said.

"I don't know what can be done about it."

Mrs Akhurst said police will do drive-bys but the criminals will just wait for their opportunity to break-in.

"Locks only keep out innocent people," she said.

"It would be good to get some cameras out here.

"We're actually going to have to think about putting cameras on all of our buildings.

"It's something we are going to have to look into ourselves because I can't see council putting in CCTV cameras down here (the industrial estate on Frederick Kelly St).

"My advice to other businesses is don't leave cash on the premises.

"If they know every business in the whole area is not leaving money on the premises, they may stop breaking in."

Mrs Akhurst says she thinks the thieves will return to South West Rocks to strike other businesses.

"They'll be back, they're going to come back and go through everyone.

"Then they'll do other industrial areas.

"They'll probably hit Kempsey next."

The thieves appear to be primarily chasing cash and at each crime scene valuable items have been left behind.

In the case of the laundry, it was two laptops that the criminals overlooked.

Mrs Akhurst believes the intruders even opened one of the laptops.

"They left two laptops," Mrs Akhurst said.

"They had lifted the lid on one of them."

Mrs Akhurst said she had left the laundry at 6pm the night before, leaving the laptops closed on her desk.

It was 1.30am when the lady who resides across the road from the laundry phoned Mrs Akhurst to notify her of the break-in.

Mrs Akhurst went straight to the laundry and arrived within 10 minutes of receiving the call.

"When i got the call, the first thing I thought was oh god my laptops, but they were both sitting there.

"They were only after cash.

"They took the money jar and left the lid."

Mrs Akhurst said she had even cleaned all of the gold coins out of the money jar the week prior to pay for lunches, leaving the thieves only 5c and 10c pieces.

"They didn't get much," Mrs Akhurst said.

"It was more of an inconvenience.

"Plus the door and two locks I had to have replaced.

"They started rummaging through my filing cabinets but they didn't have much time to take anything else.

"Thankfully, the people across the road heard the noise and looked out their window, turned their light on and by the time they got to the front door they heard two car doors shut and the car take-off.

"So, they were disturbed, they saw the light and took off.

"Luckily, they were only in my shop briefly.

"They could have done a lot of damage and really stuffed me up.

"I hope they realise I have nothing they want.

"I don't know why you would break into a commercial laundry, we don't have coin operated machines."

While they waited for police the Akhurst's spotted a sign belonging to the gym in the street and the gym door wide open.

"They did the gym at the same time or before," Mrs Akhurst said.

"We actually notified the gym, which was a bit funny.

"This is at two o'clock in the morning.

"My daughter rang up and goes is this Jason?

"He said, it could be Jason or it could be Steve, what do you want?

"She said, I'm actually looking for Chevon.

"He said, you do realise what time it is don't you.

"So my daughter said, mum's laundry has just been broken in to and your gym door is wide open, just thought you might like to know."

Mrs Akhurst says the thieves used great force to pry open the door on the laundry.

"I have a metal frame around my door and I have a solid wooden door, with two deadlocks that are completely bent," she said.

"It looked like they got a crowbar and put that much force into it that it bent the deadlocks and cracked the door."

Mrs Akurst said the police were wonderful on the night of the break-in.

"They came as soon as they could," she said.

"They were here by 2.15am.

"They walked through all of the sheds here that we also own to make sure all the locks were on.

"They were great.

"Forensics were here by 9am the next morning."

Unfortunately, forensic police found no fingerprints.

"They must have had gloves on their hands," Mrs Akhurst said.

Exhausted by the incident, which kept her awake until a door could be put on at 5pm the next day, Mrs Akhurst was angered by the thought of somebody breaking in, rummaging through her stuff and taking what they want.

"We work long and hard to get to where we are," Mrs Akhurst said.

"My staff were shocked, why would someone break into a commercial laundry, there is nothing for them to take.

"Luckily, it did not stop us working.

"Thank god they didn't touch any of the macines."

Mrs Akhurst says the offenders will get caught and eventually go to jail and she has a stern message for them.

"Go and get a job," she said.

"Live like a normal person.”