Burglars knocked through a Black Country charity shop wall to get into the Boots store next door where they escaped with a huge £25,000 haul of cosmetics.
The crooks caused £2,600 worth of damage to Cancer Research in Willenhall during their raid. Workers arrived to discover the big hole in the wall and could see the counters and aisles of the leading chemist through it. The raiders, unable to get through the high street chain’s security, broke into the charity shop through the back door and used tools to tunnel through.
Manager at the Cancer Research shop in Stafford Street Nicola Downes said: “I didn’t even see it at first, but then I saw all the rubble on the floor and I was totally shocked.
“They had actually moved a really heavy lead case that we keep video cassettes in, so they obviously knew what they were doing.
“It’s not the kind of thing you expect to have to deal with on a Monday morning.
“It just shows that if shops are next door to other shops that sell high-value goods, they can be targeted by these people.
“The police said it was unusual, because although thieves have done this kind of thing from empty properties, no-one has heard of it happening to a functioning business.”
The shop had to close for a day while the mess was cleared up and the hole filled back in.
The raid took place between 5.30pm on June 28 and 8.30am on June 30. Police have only just released details. Stock taken from Boots included men and women’s fragrances, electrical toothbrushes, shaving products, batteries and camera memory cards.
Willenhall councillor Ian Shires said today: “It’s diabolical when somewhere like Cancer Research is affected by something like this.
“I think it’s very worrying that even small and charity shops have to concern themselves with the expense of extra security because of what is next door to them.”
Police investigating the break-in are appealing for anyone with information or anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or any vehicles in the area acting suspiciously, to contact Bloxwich CID.
People can call officers on 0845 1135000 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
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