The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Police hunt hooded thieves who smashed way into garage shop
Raiders forced their way in and made off with thousands of pounds of stock
Police are hunting thieves who forced their way into a Kinross-shire shop and made off with thousands of pounds worth of tobacco and cigarettes.
Hooded raiders smashed their way into the Stewart and Smart outlet in Milnathort.
They forced their way through the front door and broke into a unit containing scores of cigarette packets.
Police Scotland said the raid happened between 3am and 4am on Wednesday April 19.
The shop, on Stirling Road, is attached to the main Stewart and Smart garage and car showroom business.
Investigators are trawling through CCTV footage to try and identify the culprits. At least two men are believed to have been involved.
A spokeswoman for the business said: “It happened at about 3.30am.
“They came in through the front door, smashed a pane of glass to get in.
“The cigarettes were kept in a locked unit and they made their way into them and got out.”
She added: “We heard from neighbours that they were wearing hoods or balaclavas to hide their faces. It looks like there was two of them.”
“It hasn’t affected our business too much. We had to close for the morning while police carried out their investigation, but we are back to normal now.”
Police have been carrying out door-todoor inquiries since the raid and issued a public appeal for witnesses yesterday.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We are appealing for information after £3,500 worth of cigarettes and tobacco was stolen during a break-in to a shop in Stirling Street, Milnathort.
“The incident happened sometime between 3am and 4am on Wednesday April 19.”
There are concerns that the stolen goods may be sold on to unsuspecting members of the public.
In a separate “opportunist” raid in September, about £1,400 worth of tobacco was stolen from a parked van at Perth’s Inveralmond Industrial Estate.
Masked raiders also made off with a haul of cigarettes from the Co-op in Stobshill, Aberdeen, on Boxing Day.
Any witnesses to the Milnathort break-in have been urged to call police on 101 or freephone Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555 111.
We are appealing for information after £3,500 worth of cigarettes and tobacco was stolen during a break-in to a shop in Stirling Street, Milnathort