6:40am Thursday 9th September 2010
By Tanya O'Rourke
Thieves who dug through a concrete floor at a garden centre in a bid to get at a safe gave up and fled with vouchers and a few garden tools, the owner has said.
But the raiders caused around £10,000 worth of damage to the concrete flooring and steel safe at ACW Garden Centre in Canal Road, Bradford.
Business owner Andrew Walmsley said it looked as though the thieves had spent hours trying to access the safe.
“It looks like they have tried to dig it out of the floor,” he said.
“They must have been here a good few hours.
“There is a substantial hole where they have tried and failed. They have either run out of time or energy.”
Police are investigating after receiving reports of the burglary yesterday.
A spokesman said it was believed the suspects got away from the scene through a wooded area behind the building.
Officers are also investigating reports of another break-in at the garden centre on Friday.
Mr Walmsley said he believed whoever had broken in over the weekend had disabled the burglar alarm sensors which prevented the alarm from sounding during Tuesday night’s attack.
He said: “We’ve had break-ins but nothing quite like this.
“This is people who know what they are doing and have come well prepared.
“We want to find out who did this.
“No matter how many times you have seen it before it doesn’t fill you with joy. Some days it just feels like everything is conspiring against you.”
Mr Walmsley, who opened the centre for business yesterday after discovering the damage, added: “We’ve been here 30 years, my dad started the company. We’ve seen it all before, not as bad as this, but you’ve got to keep going, haven’t you?”
Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to contact PC Jessica Gill on (0845) 6060606 or Crimestoppers anonymously on (0800) 555111.
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