BOSSES at a newsagents in Colchester have been left devastated after thieves smashed open a door before stealing bottles of alcohol.
The crooks were caught on CCTV targeting Claydons, in High Street, with what appears to be a concrete slab.
They are then seen getting behind the tills where they grab bottles of alcohol before making a hasty retreat.
The images show at around 5.40am, two men gain access by throwing something through the glass of the entrance.
In a statement, the team at Claydons said: “We’re saddened to say our store was broken into.
“We have excellent CCTV footage and the police are investigating.
“However, if anyone heard or saw anything, or recognises the people in the CCTV footage, please do get in touch.
“The video we are sharing has three different camera angles all trimmed down.
“Onwards and upwards.”
Claydons boss Steve Sutton, who runs the shop alongside his family and team, was left shocked after the break-in.
He said: "They removed a loose concrete slab from the wall outside the pizza restaurant by the Castle Park entrance and carried it to the front of Claydons, where they threw the slab through our glass front door.
"At this point, the alarm in the shop sounded. This is linked to an app on my phone, so I got an immediate notification.
"The alarm is also linked to a monitoring centre who contacted the police. Within 10 minutes the police were on-site. The thieves had left the shop at that point, leaving us to survey the damage and ascertain what had been stolen.
"The police were excellent on the scene. They offered to stay at the shop to allow me to nip home to get warm clothes on and to collect tools to secure the front door.
"While I was gone, they started the paperwork process, so as not to waste any time. The two police officers were very reassuring, as they could tell I was quite shaken by the experience."
The shop owners turned to social media for help.
Clips of the incident got more than 10,000 view and many people left supportive comments, as well as information to help the investigation.
Mr Sutton said: "The whole experience has shaken me and my wife and I must say we’ve not slept well the last two nights, just waiting for the alarm to go off again.
"However, it has prompted us to review our security measures, and we will be getting shutters for the doors now.
"We had avoided this in the past as we feel it will take away from the look of the amazing Victorian Shop Front, however, we now feel it is necessary to prioritise the security of the shop over the aesthetics.
"We would like to thank our customers and the wider community for their kind words and support during this difficult time."
Essex Police have launched an investigation into the incident on Sunday and are asking members of the public for information.
A spokesman said: “A suspect or suspects have reportedly forced entry to the door of a newsagent and stolen alcohol and e-cigarettes before leaving the scene.
“Our investigation is underway and enquiries continue.
“If anyone has any information or CCTV regarding this incident, please contact us quoting incident number 230 of Sunday 17 November.”
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