The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Thieves use stolen car in ram-raid on Co-op store
BMW taken from Carnoustie for robbery which netted cigarettes and booze
Ram-raiders used a stolen car to break into a supermarket on the outskirts of Dundee in the early hours of yesterday.
The incident happened at the Co-op on Lawers Drive, in Panmurefield, between 4am and 4.30am.
A car stolen from the driveway of a house in a quiet residential street in Carnoustie hours earlier had been used in the raid.
It is believed the vehicle was reversed over the pavement and through the automatic door of the shop.
The bottom section of the door was lifted up by the impact, leaving the door hanging from the top of the door-frame.
It had been propped up on a tower of shopping baskets although it is unclear whether this happened as a result of the collision or if it was done by the raiders to give them easier access to the premises.
They made off with a quantity of cigarettes while a vodka bottle was dropped outside the store, presumably by the fleeing thieves.
The entire incident, which lasted only a few minutes, was captured on the store’s CCTV system.
The break-in was only discovered when staff arrived for work around 5am.
Despite the Co-op’s alarm sounding, guests at the Premier Inn hotel on the other side of the road said they had not heard anything out of the ordinary.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Brow from Police Scotland’s Tayside Division said: “I am appealing for anyone who may have been in the area at the time to come forward and assist our inquiries.
“We are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen the BMW between Carnoustie and Lawers Drive in the early hours of this morning or anyone who knows where the car is now.
“Anyone with information should contact Tayside Division on 101 quoting 0391/04 or speak to any police officer.
“Officers are carrying out a review of CCTV and door to door enquiries.
“Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
A Co-op spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that there was a robbery at our Panmurefield store at around 4.30 am on Thursday May 4.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by its temporary closure and appeal for anyone with information to come forward to the police.”
The store was able to re-open late yesterday afternoon after repairs had been carried out to the damaged door.
The nearest houses to the Co-op are on Wyvis Avenue, which lies directly behind the Co-op.
But few residents were aware of the break-in although one woman, who asked not to be named, said she had been woken by the incident.
She said: “I heard the alarm go off but I was annoyed more than anything – the alarms go off all the time, either there or at The Bell Tree.
“I had a look out towards The Bell Tree but didn’t see anything untoward so didn’t call the police.”
The Co-op’s regular customers were shocked by the incident.
Carol Morgan, 48, said: “I sent my young lass up for milk this morning and she said the store was closed due to a break-in.
“I’ve just come up myself and you can see that the door is an absolute mess and some bottles of alcohol have been smashed.”
I’ve just come up myself and you can see that the door is an absolute mess and some bottles of alcohol have been smashed. CAROL MORGAN