Nottinghamshire Police have launched an urgent investigation following a brazen early-morning burglary in Sutton-in-Ashfield that saw intruders use heavy-duty power tools to breach a local store.
Officers were alerted to a break-in at the Co-op store on Alfreton Road at approximately 03:15 BST on Wednesday, 11 September. Upon arrival, responding officers discovered that the shop’s security had been systematically compromised. According to a force statement, the suspects gained entry by using chainsaws and crowbars to cut through the heavy-duty metal shutters protecting the building’s entrance.
Once inside, the perpetrators reportedly stole approximately £2,000 in cash and goods before making a swift getaway. Witnesses described two individuals, both dressed entirely in black and wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities, fleeing the scene on electric bikes shortly after the raid. The use of high-speed e-bikes suggests the suspects may have planned a rapid escape route through the surrounding residential areas.
On Friday, detectives took the significant step of releasing CCTV footage captured during and immediately after the crime in an effort to identify the individuals involved. The images show the suspects in the act of targeting the premises, and police are hopeful that members of the public will recognize their clothing, stature, or the distinctive bikes used to evade capture.
PC Mason Beall, leading the investigation, emphasized the severity of the incident and the danger posed by those willing to use industrial tools in the commission of a crime.
“Our hope is that releasing these images—taken during and in the aftermath of the burglary—will lead to someone sharing some information,” PC Beall said. “This was a calculated act that has caused significant distress and damage to a local business. We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and are committed to identifying those responsible.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are currently trawling through additional footage from nearby security cameras to track the suspects’ movements before and after the heist. Police are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Alfreton Road during the early hours of September 11, or who may have captured dashcam footage of two people on electric bikes in the area.
“If anyone knows anything at all about this incident, including who they believe could’ve been behind it, we’d ask that they please do the right thing and report this to the police,” PC Beall added.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Nottinghamshire Police, quoting the incident reference number, or to provide anonymous tips via Crimestoppers. Officers remain keen to hear from residents who may have heard the loud noise of chainsaws being used in the vicinity at that hour.
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