The owner of a health and beauty salon in Norwich treating NHS staff could not get in for work after a vandal squirted superglue into her door lock.
Joelle Fordham, who runs Iris Health & Beauty in Waterloo Road, also received a postcard stating: "Despite lockdown and health and beauty salons should be closed, that bit seems to have been bypassed so you can earn a buck."
The anonymous sender threatened to report Ms Fordham to the police "to investigate your opening hours".
But the salon is only open for osteopath appointments, with the Body Flow Osteopathy practice operating in the building, after relocating there in July 2019.
Ms Fordham, who is a registered osteopath and medical acupuncturist, said: "I felt very despondent and deflated when it happened on top of an already stressful year.
"I went home feeling drained beyond physical exhaustion, however the support received has been very uplifting.
"The locksmith was the hero of the day because he turned up in 10 minutes. Norwich is known to have a tightly knit business community and for me that all came to life on that day.
"Vigilante activity is not acceptable in a civilised society. Our building is home to a beautician who has been closed for most of this year, in full compliance with government guidance, but osteopaths also work within the building. Osteopaths are front line health care workers."
Ms Fordham doesn't know if it was the same person who glued the lock and sent the hate mail but she reported both incidents to the police.
"Please know that some of our clients are doctors, nurses, police officers and key workers. I beg you, be kind, we're all doing our damn best in extremely challenging times."
Philip Tucker, from PT Lock & Safe in Norwich, replaced the lock with an anti-vandalism device in about 20 minutes. "In about 35 years of being in this job, I've only seen locks glued up about 10-15 times but not in Norwich."
A spokeswoman from Norfolk police said: "Police had a report of criminal damage at Waterloo Road. Locks to the premises had been glued shut and a letter left between 10pm on Monday January 11 and 10am on Wednesday, January 13 2021."
If anyone has information about the incident they should contact Norfolk police and quote crime reference number 36/2488/21.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here