Christmas turkeys stolen from Dinas Powys butcher

Dozens of families could be without their Christmas dinner after thieves stole turkeys from a butcher's shop in Vale of Glamorgan.

Gammon joints, 700 pigs in blankets, cash and four charity boxes were also taken from MD Griffiths in Dinas Powys.

Butcher Mark Griffiths, 62, said: "For some families their whole Christmas spread has been taken."

He said he was in talks with wholesalers to try to replace what was stolen.

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Father-of-five Mr Griffiths, who has run the butcher's shop for 18 years, said: "There's never a good time for this to happen but during our Christmas rush it's particularly bad.

"We lost turkeys, ducks, chickens, pigs in blankets - all the trimmings that make this time of year so special."

"It's affected 25 orders but I'm determined not to let our customers down."

Mr Griffiths discovered the break-in at 05:00 GMT on Friday when he noticed the panel on the door had been forced open.

He said: "This is a family business and we are gutted to have been targeted in this way.

"Customers have been back and forth to the shop to ask about their orders and we are doing what we can to recoup our loses."

Customer Rowan Young, 50, described the thefts as "sickening", adding: "If we are the unlucky ones whose meat has gone then we fully understand."