Beach hut owners have been warned not to leave valuables in their seaside chalets after would-be thieves broke into three of the holiday havens at Felixstowe.

Police on patrol on the seafront in the early hours discovered two of the huts with their doors ripped open, and a third was found damaged in the morning.

Officers searched the area immediately but could find no sign of those responsible.

Photos of the damage were sent in by iwitness member Bernard Price.

Now they are appealing for witnesses to the incidents – and urging hut owners to make sure they do not store anything of value inside the wooden buildings.

Those whose huts were damaged are now facing repair bills.

A police spokeswoman said two huts near to each other alongside the Spa Gardens, Undercliff Road West, were broken into and a third further along the promenade, in Undercliff Road East.

Officers on duty discovered the two huts next to the gardens around 2.35am on Thursday. The break-ins were believed to have happened between around 5pm Wednesday and the early hours.

The hut in Undercliff Road East was entered between 5pm on Wednesday and 7.35am on Thursday – the would-be burglars had pulled off the metal bar across the double-doors and then forced open the hut.

At this stage it is not known whether any items were stolen.

The spokeswoman said: “Investigations are ongoing and officers are also trying to contact the owners of the huts.

“We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time, perhaps dog walkers who saw people acting suspiciously around the huts, or anyone with information about who caused the damage.

“We would also remind beach hut owners to make sure they do not leave anything of value in their huts when not using them.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Felixstowe Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101.