Shop raid shock

Gutted . . . Shopkeeper Abdul Waheed.

A SHOCKED shopkeeper was left devastated yesterday when he opened up to find 4,000 cigarettes and £200 cash had been swiped from his store.

Sam’s News, on Greenacres Road, fell victim to opportunist thieves who took advantage of rear extension work by breaking a board blocking the doorway before cutting into the tobacco kiosk and emptying the shelves and the till.

Abdul Waheed, who has run the shop for four years, was gutted by the discovery when he came in to open up at 6.30am.

He said: “I locked up at 9pm and everything was secured as usual. When I came back in the morning the shutters covering the tobacco shelves had been cut away and the shelves were bare.

“They helped themselves to cash in the till and because we’re having work done there are no CCTV cameras installed to get images. It’s like they knew what was happening here.”

A police spokesman confirmed: “It is thought the intruders gained access through the back of the building.

“Investigations are ongoing and anyone who knows anything about the incident or noticed anything suspicious should contact us as soon as possible.”

Call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.