‘They’ve broken my heart’
Shop owner devastated after second ram-raid in two years
ANDREA LAMBROU
A Westwood shop owner has been left heartbroken after hooded thieves ramraided his store for the second time in two years.
The News obtained CCTV footage which captures the shocking moment brazen thugs smashed their way through the shutters of Lifestyle Express in a Toyota RAV4, making off with around £10,000 worth of cash, booze and cigarettes.
The footage shows the silver car reverse into the Leeward Circle shopfront three times before four men take just three minutes to ransack the place.
Images show the robbers rip six shelves full of cigarettes from the stand behind the counter, steal bottles of Buckfast, whisky, wine and vodka and break into the lottery cash register and drawers to swipe three days worth of takings.
This is the second time the Westwood shop has been ram-raided in two years, leaving owner Sirfraz Iqbal devastated.
The father-of-four’s store was one of three targeted in similar ram-raids across Lanarkshire in January 2017 in a bid to steal cash machines.
Mr Iqbal, who has run the business for 11 years, told the News he doesn’t feel safe after being targeted a second time.
He said: “I’m feeling really bad. There is so much damage and they’ve taken £10,000 worth of stock and cash.
“I don’t know why they’ve done it to me again, I don’t understand. I’m fed up here now, I don’t feel safe.
“It’s big money I’ve lost right before Christmas – I have four children, a mortgage and workers to pay. “They’ve broken my heart.” Mr Iqbal, from High Blantyre, now plans to step up security at the store by having bollards installed out front.
In the 2017 ram-raid two men had ploughed a dark-coloured Land Rover Discovery into the store at 2.50am.
The shutters were bent double and the front doors taken clean off their hinges.
The ATM machine was dragged halfway across the shop floor but the culprits failed to make off with any cash.
The same vehicle, which was later dumped and set alight, was used in two other raids elsewhere in Lanarkshire.
Mr Iqbal added: “Nothing was lost last time they only caused damage. This time
I’ve lost ten grand easy.
“They put three days worth of takings in their pocket in front of the camera. I’m so upset, I’ve not eaten all day. I had to shut the shop for half a day.
“I’m going to put bollards up outside so my shop is covered.”
The car left the scene and is believed to have been followed by a small dark coloured car.
At around 2.50am, the silver Toyota car crashed in Vermont Road, Glasgow and the suspect fled. He is described as having short, dark shaven hair.
Police continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward and have issued a call for dashcam footage of the incident.
Detective Sergeant Stewart Walton, of Cambuslang CID said: “We are currently trying to establish the exact circumstances of this incident and the connection between both cars.
“We would like to speak to anyone who may have information on either the ram-raid incident or the crash later on or anyone who has dashcam footage of either incident.”
Anyone with information should contact Cambuslang CID via telephone number 101 quoting incident number 0248 of 18 December 2019. Alternatively calls can be made anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.