Postmasters 'living in fear' after spate of thefts

Cambridgeshire Police said the High Street store in Barrington was broken into just before 02:00 BST on 9 September

A shop owner says postmasters are "living in fear" after a series violent break-ins left shops damaged in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Popat Godhaniya, a postmaster in Barrington, said he was "terrified" after three men wearing balaclavas broke into his shop while his family were upstairs.

It was one of several incidents in the area, with the most recent including a Co-op in Sutton that was targeted by three men using a disc cutter at about 02:50 BST.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said it was "typical [to see more incidents like these] at this time of year," and it was a priority for the force.

A cash machine containing about £30,000 was stolen from a Co-op during a ram-raid on 10 September

There have been at least six incidents in the area since May, including a break-in at Foxton High Street Post Office and two at Witchford Post Office in the space of two weeks.

A cash machine was stolen during a ram-raid at Morrisons in Peterborough, and on 9 September Barrington village post office was broken into.

The following day, ram-raiders stole about £30,000 from a Co-op cash machine in Cambridge and on 11 September another Co-op was targeted.

A safe was taken from the village Post Office in Witchford, Ely

Mr Godhaniya said postmasters had not recovered from the Post Office scandal and were now experiencing sleepless nights due to a fear of "armed gangs" smashing their shops or "endangering our lives".

Mr Godhaniya was on holiday at the time of the break in, but his family were upstairs and "terrified" at the "hammering and banging" on the walls.

"They have taken our peace and our sleep," he said adding

"They are heartless people... they don't care whether whole property will fall down or what, they are just after cash money."

The break-in triggered a police alarm, but Mr Godhaniya felt the response from the force had been slow and ineffective.

Local people called the ram-raid in Peterborough a "disgusting act" that had left a huge mess

Manish Bhadresa, from the Foxton post office, said it took the thieves five minutes to take a safe containing about £17,000.

"The whole experience has left me and my wife devastated," he said.

Anil Sundavadra, who has owned the Post Office in Witchford for about a year and a half, said both incidents at his shop had also been "devastating".

The first raid saw three men wearing balaclavas steal thousands of pounds in four minutes. The second saw cash, alcohol and cigarettes stolen.

Anil Sundavadra, who owns the Post Office in Witchford, said it had been "really devastating for the community and for us as well"

Det Ch Insp Chris O'Brien, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire there was "vulnerability" in rural communities for crimes such as these.

"We have had an increase in ram raids regionally and nationally which is typical for this time of year," he said.

"We understand it causes absolute devastation in local communities and often can lead to the closure of stores so it is a massive priority for us.

"We always have patrols in what we think are most vulnerable areas... we flex and change that on a daily basis to where we think any risks may exist."