Police are “not ruling out” a link between a wave of crimes committed against businesses in Aberdeenshire.
The Oldmeldrum Road Co-op store in Newmachar was broken into at 12:25am this morning.
The branch was forced to close after police said that four men wearing dark clothing raided the premises, believed to be carrying crowbars and sledgehammers
They made off in a vehicle shortly after the theft carrying till boxes lifted from the store.
The incident came after a wave of similar break-ins to Stonehaven businesses.
Police responded to an incident in another Co-op store on Redcloak Drive during the early morning of October 13, during which thousands of pounds was stolen.
The same also happened to the The Carron Fish Bar, also in Stonehaven, in September – where one man entered through a window as another watched while owners Lorraine and Charles Watson holidayed in Italy.
Both times crowbars were used by a multiple men in dark clothing -which has prompted theories that the incidents could be linked.
‘We cannot rule anything out’
Police have said they cannot rule out the possibility that the crimes are connected.
A Police spokesperson said: “These incidents are not currently being linked, however enquiries are ongoing and we cannot rule anything out at this stage.”
‘Strengthens the case for CCTV’
The flurry of incidents has also resulted in calls for CCTV installations to increase from Stonehaven residents.
After the Redcloak Drive Co-op break-in, Stonehaven and Lower Deeside Councillor Dawn Black said: “It is disturbing to hear about the spate of actual and attempted break-ins to businesses in the town in recent weeks.
“I am sure the police are taking the situation seriously and looking into all reports to find the culprits.
“This strengthens the case for CCTV in Stonehaven to deter such actions and to assist the police in their detection of crimes committed.”
Redcloak chipper owner, Jamie Russo, now has an alarm system and CCTV cameras and now makes sure everything is under lock and key.
But he worries that even these precautions would not deter any would-be criminals.
He said: “If these guys want to get in, they find a way.
“It’s worrying in a town like Stonehaven, you don’t really expect it. But when it’s happening so frequently — or well couple of times in that last couple of weeks. It is worrying.”
