HIT and run ram raiders who reversed at speed into East Meon store and made off with the shop tills must be stupid says the owner.
The force of the ‘ram’ ripped the double doors off their supporting pillars, forcing them inside the shop in the village High Street, where they came to rest on a food and drink stand.
The brick and stone door pillars were also partially demolished, and the walls that remained were cracked, leaving them unsafe.
The raid at about 2.30am on Friday, August 4, woke neighbours and store owners, Janet Khambata, husband Cyrus and son Darius, who live above it.
Janet said: “The noise frightened the life out of me, it was so loud, I didn’t know what was happening, or what was going on.”
Darius added: “The smash woke me up straight away, I thought there had been a car crash outside the shop, it was really loud.
“I looked down at the front of the shop and saw a small silver 4x4 backed in the door way, it then drove off quickly toward Workhouse Lane.
“From when it smashed into the door and drove away must have only been a minute or two.
“There was a driver, but I couldn’t see if there was one or two other people in the car, but both our tills were taken, and they are heavy, and I don’t think the car was there long enough for one person to get both.
“They must be stupid,no-one leaves money overnight in a shop anymore, so all they got was two empty tills, the police said no-one ram raids anymore because it’s not worth it, and this proves it.”
John Till lives next door to the shop, and said: “There was a very loud bang and crash, which woke me up, I couldn’t believe it.”
But despite the structural damage to the doorway, the shop was open for business the morning after the raid.
Darius said: “The doorway is unsafe, but we can get in to the shop through a back door, so we can get items for customers.
“The insurance gave us the go ahead that morning to start repair work, and we intend to make every effort to remain open while the repairs are being done.”