A HOODED-top wearing thief smashed his way into a town centre store using an axe before fleeing the scene with watches.

Police are investigating the raid which happened at the popular independent Javelin clothing store, in Friars Street, Sudbury.

Staff at the shop yesterday told how the thief had smashed his way in using an axe, which was left at the scene.

The burglar stole a mixture of Diesel and Adidas watches in the raid.

One of the staff members told how police were already at the scene when they arrived for work.

It is understood the thief triggered the alarm when he broke into the store on in the early-morning raid between 5.20am and 5.25am on Wednesday.

Staff said there had been a number of incidents in the town in the past couple of weeks including a window being smashed at a nearby shop.

A police spokeswoman said the raider smashed through glass in the door to get into Javelin, which has a sister branch in Bury St Edmunds

A description of the raider has been released and police have urged anyone who may have any about the incident information to come forward.

The spokeswoman said the thief made off with about 20 watches worth �1,200 in total.

She said: “The alarm sounded and the man ran off down an alleyway. He is described as of medium height and build, was wearing jeans, black gloves and a black hooded top and carried a carrier bag.”

Police are looking at CCTV footage for the area and appealing for information from people.

She said: “We have recovered a small axe in connection with the incident.”

She said although there had been reports of other incidents – such as the smashed window and an attempted break-in at the town’s Waitrose store in Station Road – police were not treating them as connected.

Anyone with information about the raid at the Javelin store should call Pc Gemma Fox at Sudbury Police on 01284 774100 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.