Express & Star

Raiders steal computers and safe in £15,000 burglary

Thieves broke into an Oldbury manufacturing firm's base and made off with computers and the company safe - totalling nearly £15,000.

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Gilca's premises in Wolverhampton Road was targeted late on Saturday night.

The firm's bosses believe a group of crooks broke in, cut the alarm system and phone lines, and escaped with eight computers and the company safe.

Added to the damage caused to the premises, bosses estimate the total bill will be between £12,000 and £15,000.

Company chiefs have urged members of the public who might have seen anything late on Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday to get in touch with police.

The break-in was only discovered on Sunday afternoon when accounts secretary Natalie Roberts drove past and spotted a broken window.

UK sales manager Lez Coupland said: "It's still a mess. Because we're in most of the High Street stores we need to be in touch with all our customers.

"But because of the damage they've done to the phones it's difficult.

"It's been impossible really because all of the phone lines have been down - so all the company calls have been coming into my mobile.

"You can't run an international business with just an iPhone."

Gilca supplies foam and rubber based products to makeup firms and also to Jaguar Land Rover.

Mr Coupland said the firm's business has been affected since the break-in as they have been unable

Thankfully none of the machinery in the factory was damaged.

Mr Coupland told the Express & Star he believed the firm had been targeted in a planned attack.

He said: "We think they've targeted us and maybe come in to the building before with an inquiry.

"It looks like they knew where the alarms were and they used pallets to climb up.

"When the alarm goes off it comes through to five of us.

"There was definitely a team of them as well."

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