POLICE are investigating a second raid on a village shop and post office in 48 hours, where offenders tried to open or steal the safe.
The break-in at Redbrook Village Stores overnight last Wednesday and Thursday (October 23 to 24) followed a similar raid at Parkend Village shop on Monday night (October 21).
The Redbrook store owners said they didn’t want to talk about the incident, but director Chris Park posted on the Redbrook Together Facebook page: “We had an attempted burglary early morning. Damage to door and post office counter, nothing stolen but, more importantly no one hurt.”
A post on the store’s own Facebook page on Thursday added: “Sorry the post office will be closed for the time being due to break in. Shop open as usual. Sorry for any inconvenience.”
It announced yesterday (Tuesday, October 29), five days later, that the post office was now open again.
The shop was taped off while police inves- tigated the break-in last week.
Police could be looking for a gang of serial burglars following the two raids and officers confirmed they would be looking at the “similarities”.
A Gloucestershire Police spokeswoman said: “Police are investigating an attempted burglary at the post office and community store in Redbrook which occurred overnight Wednesday, October 23/Thursday, October 24.
“Offenders forced their way into the property and tried to gain access to the safe.
“They were unsuccessful but caused damage inside the building.”
In the previous raid 48 hours earlier in Parkend, the culprits smashed a window to gain entry to the post office and shop around 11pm and tried to steal the safe.
The police spokeswoman said the alarm was initially raised by a member of the public who saw two people he believed had forced their way into the building before making off in a white car, possibly a VW Golf.
“The offenders had tried to remove the safe but had been unable to do so,” she added.
“One of them was carrying a weapon, thought to be a baseball bat or sledgehammer and both were wearing dark hooded tops.
“The car was seen turning right from the post office in the direction of Coleford or Cinderford.”
Detective Inspector Dave Shore-Nye said: “We are keen to hear from anyone who saw this vehicle and its occupants in the area either earlier in the day or as it was driven away after the unsuccessful burglary.”
Parkend Village Shop owner Julia Evans said after discovering the break-in on Tuesday, October 22: “I came in to work this morning to find glass everywhere and police tape across the front of the shop.
“They threw a brick through the window of the front door which was smashed and they also damaged the frame trying to gain access to the shop.
“The man who lives above the shop scared them off when he heard what was going on.
“I feel angry and upset but relieved that nobody was hurt.”
Anyone with information about the attempted burglaries should call 101 quoting incident 43 of 24 October for Redbrook Village Stores and 426 of 21 October for the Parkend shop.