Shotguns and ammunition stolen as thieves twice smash through brick wall of Sheffield gun shop
In the daring raid, crooks dismantled the bricks in the exterior wall of the shop '“Â big enough for the thieves to access the store '“Â before returning around 45 minutes later to do the same.
The raid took place at All Guns Discounted on Leigh Street, Attercliffe, just before 9.50pm on Wednesday.
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Hide AdHoward Turner, the store owner, said: 'We've got it on CCTV. They came through with sledge hammers and metal cutters.
'They realised this was just the shop and they couldn't get in the back and they left for about 45 minutes and then came back and smashed through the wall again.'
Mr Turner, who opened the unit on the Sycamore Centre industrial estate around two years ago, said the shotguns stolen were worth thousands of pounds.
He also said the cost of repairs to the building would also be hundreds of pounds.
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Hide AdPiles of bricks and rubble could be seen where the raiders demolished the wall before ransacking the shop.
Mr Turner said: 'We have extra security measures '“ HD cameras and alarms that alert firearms officers in the alert of a break-in.
'We've also got extra layers of bricks and when we had the police here doing checks they said the security was over the top if anything so they clearly knew what they were doing.'
Shotgun cartridges could be seen scattered on the shop floor.
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Hide AdPolice said a number of shotguns and ammunition were stolen in the raid.
Police officers spent several hours at the shop carrying out enquiries and examining the crime scene.
CCTV footage was reviewed to see if the culprits were caught on camera.
The raiders are believed to have left the scene in a dark-coloured Vauxhall Astra and remained on the run last night.
Mr Turner said he did not know when the shop would reopen.
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Hide AdThe shop sells air rifles, air pistols, shotguns and scopes.
Shotgun cartridges, metallic ammunition and pellets are stocked too, along with knives.
The incident comes after a similar raid at Wentworth Pewter in Darnall in November, when thieves removed bricks and stole six tonnes of pewter in sheet and circle form.
Witnesses or anyone with information should call police on 101 and quote incident number 109 of January 17 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.