Ram raid on Sutton Bridge store linked to burglary in Leverington

By ADAM LAZZARI

POLICE have linked two major cigarette burglaries in the Fens.

A large quantity of cigarettes was stolen from Railway Stores, Bridge Road Sutton Bridge at around 1.30am on Thursday (February 18).

Thousands of pounds of cigarettes were stolen from Leverington Stores, Church End, Leverington at around 10pm on February 8, as featured on the front page of this week's Wisbech Standard.

Both burglaries were carried out by a gang of four men dressed in balaclavas who drove off in a green or silver coloured Subaru Impreza.

The car was used to ram through the front of the Sutton Bridge shop.

A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said that officers were considering the possibility of a link between the two incidents.

The spokesman said of the Sutton Bridge burglary: "This is a high value burglary. There would have been an awful lot of noise and disruption in the early hours of the morning.

"It is more than possible that people in the area would have heard or seen something and we need them to come forward and help with enquiries.

"Anyone offered cheap cigarettes should know that they will be handling stolen good and would be committing an offence to buy them.

"It would be much better for them to come to us with information."

Last month, the Badgeny Road Co-op, in March, was raided by balaclava-clad thieves who stole a large quantity of cigarettes.

The owner of Railway Stores believes the burglaries are a response to the Government's rise in VAT on cigarettes but did not wish to comment further.

Anyone with information about the Sutton Bridge burglary should contact Lincolnshire Police on 0300 1110300.

Anyone with information about the Leverington burglary should contact Cambridgeshire Police on 0345 456 456 4.

Crimestoppers can be contacted, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.