Bushbury supermarket raid captured on CCTV

Masked burglars ransacked a Black Country supermarket in a 45-minute early morning spree which is captured here on CCTV.

The gang, wearing hoodies and scarves, caused thousands of pounds worth of damage and made off with £3,500 cash and cigarettes worth £4,000.

The raiders smashed through a steel gate at P&J Newton Garden Centre and supermarket in Bushbury and broke through a roller shutter door before apparently using a 20ft pole to disable an alarm bell. Bosses said they believed the gang had broken their way in through a rear door and then waited outside to check if police had been called, before returning 20 minutes later.

They smashed their way into a cabinet and stole £4,000 in cigarettes. The thieves ransacked the office, stealing £3,500 in cash and a £650 laptop containing the bookkeeper's work.

The clear CCTV images, released to the Express & Star by the company today, also shows the gang smashing their way into a cash machine with a shovel.

Today devastated boss Peter Newton, aged 55, said: "The whole thing was over in less than an hour altogether. They wore masks but some of them dropped their masks because they thought the cameras weren't filming them in the dark, but they were night vision cameras. They probably spent weeks casing the joint."

Mr Newton said Monday's 3am raid was the second time in weeks that the firm had been targeted, and criticised police for taking two days to respond to the earlier attempt. He said a neighbour spotted a gang trying to break in through a wall at the business overnight on October 10 and called the police.

Mr Newton, who started the business with his late father Jack in 1970, said: "They might have seen a police car in the area and decided enough was enough." He said police were aware of the break-in, which happened early on Sunday morning, but did not arrive at the site until Tuesday. "The police respond quicker to a residential burglary and they aren't responding to businesses," he added.

The firm, which employs 16 people, was open as usual today. Mr Newton said a reward would be given to anyone providing information leading to a successful prosecution. Police today confirmed they were investigating Monday's break-in, and admitted that there had been delays in investigating the earlier attempted raid.

Supt Jan Thomas-West said today: "We understand Mr Newton's frustrations and would reassure him we are following a number of lines of inquiry.