Vapes and tobacco stolen in three linked store break-ins

Multiple brightly-coloured vapes in a pile
Image caption,

Police said items including, vapes, tobacco and drinks were stolen

  • Published

Police are appealing for information after vapes and tobacco valued at thousands of pounds were stolen in a series of supermarket raids in Devon.

Three break-ins took place at Morrisons Daily stores in Exmouth and Ottery St Mary in the space of a week, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The Pines Road store in Exmouth was targeted twice on 21 and 23 August while the West Hill outlet in Ottery St Mary was broken into on 27 August.

Officers are linking the offences and have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information or CCTV footage to contact them.

Police said that all of the raids happened in the early hours of the morning with offenders smashing the glass front door of the shops to get inside.

'Check doorbell cameras'

The first burglary happened at the Exmouth store between 04:20 BST and 05:00 on 21 August with tobacco, vapes and drinks valued at about £7,000 taken.

The same store was targeted again between 04:50 and 05:30 on 23 August, with a haul of similar items and value taken.

The Morrisons Daily in West Hill, Ottery St Mary, was burgled on 27 August between 00:50 and 01:30, again with similar items taken.

PC Samuel Morris said: “We are currently linking these burglaries and, as part of our investigation, we are asking for residents in these areas to check their personal CCTV or doorbell cameras to see if they have any footage which may help with our enquiries.

“We are particularly interested in CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage from the Exmouth areas of Jubilee Drive, Marley Road, Lovering Close and Byron Way."