The owner of a convenience store in the village of Kedington, near Haverhill, has described how his family were in the building while thieves ram raided the shop.
Dilip Visana said his family had been left shaken by the smash and grab at Kedington Stores, which happened just after midnight today, August 24.
He said thieves rammed a vehicle into the front of the store and within five minutes had emptied the cigarette counter.
This is the second ram raid at a Nisa store in west Suffolk in the space of a week after one in Red Lodge was struck by a Mercedes with no number plate on Saturday.
Mr Visana, who has owned Kedington Stores in Silver Street for the past 12 years, said: “I was asleep, but my [adult] children weren’t. They both woke me up and said ‘we are being ram raided’. They rang the police and I pressed the panic button.”
He added: “Obviously when they left we calmed down. We knew nothing more was going to happen. We live on top of the shop.”
He said neighbours had also been disturbed and had waited until the thieves had left the scene before emerging from their homes.
The damage includes to the front of the store, the cigarette counter and part of the false ceiling inside has collapsed.
Mr Visana said the store was currently closed to customers as it was unsafe, adding he hoped it would reopen in a couple of days.
It is not yet clear if the incidents in Red Lodge and Kedington are linked.
Speaking of the Kedington ram raid, a spokeswoman for Suffolk police said: “A vehicle, believed to be dark in colour and possibly a SUV, was used to ram through the security shutters of the store.
“The suspects, thought to be up to four people, then forced entry into the store and stole a quantity of cigarettes before leaving the scene in the vehicle.”
She added: “Officers would like to hear from anyone who has not yet been in touch and who has knowledge of either raid or who believes they witnessed any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the incident.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Bury St Edmunds CID on 101 quoting reference 56496/17, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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