Gardai in Waterford City are investigating after the Waterford Shopping Centre in Lisduggan was broken into overnight.
Entry was gained through the roof and extensive damage was caused.
It happened sometime between 1.00am and 2.00am this morning.
It's thought that three units within the shopping centre were burgled and the shops in question remained closed this morning.
Gardai are appealing to anyone who has information or witnessed anything suspicious in the area to contact them on 051 305300.
Local Sinn Fein Councillor John Hearne was shocked by the damage
"They obviously spent hours cutting down to the roof and collapsed all the ceilings in on top of the shops."
He told WLR News that three shops were broken into "the newsagents, butchers and travel shop".
"They had upgraded security in the yard and the mall itself. They [the perpetrators] obviously knew something about that, that they didn't go into any of the malls or the yard.
There would have been a lot of people passing at that time, people would be leaving the pubs and they would be going home.
"Nobody seemed to hear anything."
