Two village shops burgled within 24 hours as detectives issue appeal

Both shops suffered damage

Two village shops in a Cambridgeshire village were burgled within 24 hours. The first happened at about 3.50am on Monday (September 21) when a man smashed the front door panel of the Co-op in High Street, Willingham.

A smoke security system was activated and the man, who was reportedly wearing blue jeans, a black top, baseball cap and a snood covering his face, left the store empty-handed running in the direction of Church Street. The force was then called at about 1am today (September 22) with reports of a break in at the One Stop in Church Street.

Two men dressed in black with balaclavas arrived in a black vehicle and smashed the front store window, according to Cambridgeshire Police. They allegedly filled a bag with cigarettes and left in the vehicle towards Green Street.

The force has said that no arrests have been made and investigations remain ongoing. Detective Sergeant Jonathan Lockwood said: “We appreciate these incidents will cause concern within the local community and would like to reassure residents that a thorough investigation is underway.

“I would encourage residents and business owners to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity, no matter how minor it may seem.”

Anyone with information or anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage which may assist the investigation, is asked to report online www.cambs.police.uk quoting reference 35/73400/26 or call 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.