STAFF at a struggling seafront theatre have been left angry and heartbroken today after burglars broke into its ice cream parlour and caused mayhem.

The thugs smashed five windows of the parlour on the ground floor of the Spa Pavilion and one in the upstairs restaurant as they forced their way in.

It is understood one of the vandals cut themselves in the process – leaving a trail of blood behind.

Theatre manager Jools Howes said the burglars had destroyed the ice cream fridge, left glass everywhere, and taken bottles of drink and thrown them on the beach.

Bottles of lager were also stolen.

“We have had to throw out all the ice cream – we had just stocked up because we had hoped to open at Easter but then couldn’t because of the weather,” she said.

“It’s a real mess. It’s very disappointing and just so pointless.

“The theatre is struggling and everyone is working as hard as possible to bring people here and now we have a load of boarded up windows until the loss adjustors sort out the insurance.”

Police said the break-in happened between 5.30pm on Sunday and 2.30am Monday – officers were alerted in the early hours after an alarm activated. Anyone with information about the incident, or the offenders, should call 101.