Three cars worth more than £30,000 have been stolen from a family car dealership in Suffolk in a night-time robbery.

East Anglian Daily Times: Simon Shield, who owns his own car dealership had three cars worth £34,000 stolen overnight. Picture: SIMON SHIELDSimon Shield, who owns his own car dealership had three cars worth £34,000 stolen overnight. Picture: SIMON SHIELD (Image: Archant)

A white BMW M140i worth £21,000, a black Ford Focus worth £6,750 and a white Ford Focus worth £6,250 were all stolen from Simon Shield Cars in Lower Farm Road, Great Bricett, near Wattisham, overnight.

The robbers forced entry to the garage through a back door before rifling through drawers and cabinets.

A key cabinet was broken into and three sets of keys were stolen for the cars.

The thefts happened between 7pm on Thursday, April 4 and 7.30am on Friday, April 5.

East Anglian Daily Times: A white Ford Focus was stolen from the garage overnight. Picture: SIMON SHIELDA white Ford Focus was stolen from the garage overnight. Picture: SIMON SHIELD (Image: Archant)

Simon Shield, who owns the dealership said: “I was a bit stunned to be honest when I saw the cars had gone.

“I got to work and noticed that two of the cars weren’t on the forecourt. I first thought that they had been taken to the garage but when I got closer I notice that the door had been forced open.

“I went into the office and saw that they they had gone through all the drawers and the cabinets and took the three sets of keys for the cars before taking off.

“I have been here for 23 years and I’ve never had anything like this. The shop is right next to the entrance to Wattisham Airfield where they have 24 hour armed guards.”

East Anglian Daily Times: A black Ford Focus was stolen from the garage overnight. Picture: SIMON SHIELDA black Ford Focus was stolen from the garage overnight. Picture: SIMON SHIELD (Image: Archant)

The stolen BMW was the most expensive car that was being sold at the dealership at the time of the theft and Mr Shield thinks that at least one of the cars may have been stolen to order.

“I think that they might have been targeting the BMW but I don’t know why they took the two Fords when we also have Mercedes and Audi’s,” he said.

“The police have been really helpful.

“They have looked around the local estates and the country roads to see if they have been abandoned.

“There has not been any personal damage to me, but for a small business like ours it is a really big hit to take.

“We do have insurance but £34,000 is a lot to lose for a long period of time.

“It is really damaging for our business.”

A spokesperson from Suffolk Constabulary said said anyone with information or any witnesses is asked to call police on 101 quoting crime reference number 37/19217/19.