Several Panama City Beach business owners are boarding up their shops and cleaning up the mess left behind by burglars. The string of burglaries along Back Beach Road comes just one week after several other businesses were broken into.

Four furniture stores along Back Beach Road were broken into within a six-hour period Friday night. Sheriff's deputies believe the string of burglaries started at Fernleigh Antiques.

Beach Barn and Beach Bed and Bath, which sit right next to Fernleigh's were burglarized around 8 p.m. Then Scavengers Bazaar furniture and antiques was broken into sometime after 11 p.m.

The owners of Scavengers Bazaar were installing new security measures when the burglaries happened, but they were just a few days too late.

Business owners at the West End of the beach say this would have never happened if they had more police protection. Right now they only have two sheriff's deputies permanently assigned to their area.

Sheriff's officials say they also have back-up deputies in other areas on the beach, but they don't have the manpower to provide more than two permanent deputies in the west end.

Sheriff's investigators have taken fingerprints and footprints at least two of the stores and at least one business owners says he has an idea of who may be involved.

The burglars stole money from the cash register, as well as furniture and antique jewelry. Sheriff's investigators say leads from business owners and clues at the scene have helped them come up with several persons of interest in these burglaries.

If you have any information about who may be involved please call Crimestoppers at 785-TIPS.