Looters raided a Walsall family business hours after a blaze ripped through its warehouse destroying £30,000 worth of stock.

Bosses at Tubs n Tiles Ltd were still coming to terms with the shock of the fire in Bescot Crescent when the thieves made off with cash, a computer and power tools.

The blaze is believed to have started in the neighbouring C Vizion CCTV premises at 10.30am on Tuesday. It took 15 minutes for it destroy that building and it spread to the Tubs n Tiles showroom which had a range of carpets, rugs and bathroom furniture inside.    

Firefighters managed to battle the flames and stop further stock being destroyed, but raiders struck on the evening, as the back of the building was exposed, to take a range of power tools, up to £200 in cash and a computer storing company information.

Company directors Paul Rudge said: “The thieves must have waited until the firefighters had gone and managed to get in through the back.”