Third village store in three days targeted in early hours burglary

Police say they are treating all three offences “extremely seriously”

A village store has become the third to be burgled in as many days in Cambridgeshire. Two men dressed in all black are reported to have smashed through the front door of Bridge End Stores in High Street, Earith at around 3.15am this morning (September 23).

The men left around four minutes later in a small black hatchback car, taking with them a bag of cigarettes and vapes. No arrests have been made but police say an investigation is ongoing.

It follows two burglaries which happened at village shops in Willingham in the early hours of Monday and Tuesday (September 21 and 22). In one instance, the suspect left empty-handed whilst in the second incident, two men made off with a bag full of cigarettes.

Whilst police have made no indication that these incidents are linked, they say that they are treating them “extremely seriously”.

Detective Sergeant James Rabbett, from the Southern Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “We understand this latest incident will add to concerns within our communities, particularly following the recent burglaries in Bluntisham and Willingham.

“We want to reassure residents and businesses that these offences are being treated extremely seriously and officers are carrying out extensive enquiries to identify those responsible.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time, saw a small black hatchback, or anyone who has dashcam, CCTV or doorbell footage that may assist our investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cambridgeshire Police online, quoting reference 35/73768/26.. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or on their website.