Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper has urged communities to remain vigilant and help bring burglars to justice.
Her plea follows a series of raids on filling stations and convenience stores in recent weeks across Trowbridge with thieves targeting cigarettes, tobacco, vapes and alcohol.
She said: “I would like to ask our communities to help us ensure that anyone who commits a burglary, or indeed any crime, is brought to justice.
“We regularly place appeals for information or to help us identify someone on our website and social media.
“Any help that can be given by our communities in response to these appeals will help us prevent crime, support a victim and ensure a suspect is arrested and held to account for their actions.
“There have been a number of significant prosecutions that have been brought over recent months as a direct result of information from the public.
“I would like to thank our communities for all their support to date, and ask that this continues into the future.”
Police are investigating raids on the Premier convenience store in Frome Road, Southwick, overnight on August 30/31; the Budgens store at the Trowbridge Lodge BP filling station on West Ashton Road, Trowbridge, on September 16, and the Central convenience store and post office at Wyke Road, Hilperton Marsh, overnight on September 23/24.
A spokesperson said: “Trowbridge Police have seen two burglaries at convenience stores in the last week.
“We know that burglary not only has a financial impact to victims but also has a huge psychological impact.
“We are exploring whether the two incidents are linked but are keeping an open mind as we investigate what has happened.
“If you have information that could help us with our enquiries please contact us on 101 or through our website.”
At the Premier convenience store in Frome Road, a panel on the front door was damaged during the burglary. It is not known what was stolen in the raid. The store manager declined to comment.
At the Trowbridge Lodge Budgens store, a masked gang of four men allegedly ransacked the shelves.
Police managed to track the burglars’ stolen vehicle to Compton Chamberlayne near Wilton using the National Police Air Service helicopter and recovered a large quantity of stolen vapes and cigarettes.
At Hilperton Marsh, the burglar gained entry through an upstairs window to access the post office and convenience store downstairs. It is not known what was stolen.
Police and businesses are planning a summit meeting in November to tackle the dramatic rise in retail crime in Trowbridge.
Trowbridge Police and Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce will invite retailers to the meeting held from 2pm to 3pm on Tuesday, November 5 at The Civic Centre.
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