A shop owner says she may be forced to close for good after her premises were raided for the eighth time in as many years.

Anju Patel, who owns The Conservatory in the Drive, Hove, was woken by police at 4am on Saturday after the latest break-in.

They called her after thieves smashed windows at her mini-market and grabbed goods, setting off the alarm.

The raiders caused damage which Mrs Patel estimates will cost up to £500 to repair.

Now she is calling on Brighton and Hove Council to think again about its decision to turn down her request for security shutters.

Mrs Patel said: "We applied about three years ago for permission to put up white roller shutters to stop this happening.

"But the council turned us down because we are in a conservation area.

"I was told they were out of keeping with the area. We appealed but they turned that down as well.

"I had to get my daughter to come out with me on Saturday morning because I did not want to go out alone at that time.

"I was shaking by the time we got there because I did not know what we might find.

"Surely there must be something the council can do about this for me?

"If I can't make the shop secure then I will seriously have to think about closing it down."

A council spokeswoman said: "We took into consideration the number of break-ins there had been at the premises when Mrs Patel made her original application.

"However, it was considered that what she had in mind was not suitable, bearing in mind that this is a conservation area.

"We suggested that a mixture of internal and external grilles would be acceptable, but Mrs Patel did not want to take us up on that.

"We also offered to put her in touch with the local community beat police officer and to send her one of the council's security information leaflets.

"The council is more than happy to speak to her again about these matters."