£20,000 Bridgnorth burglary caught on CCTV

The Old Mill Antiques Centre in Mill Street, was broken into in the early hours. Today its owner described how he stood by helplessly at home as he heard the raider rummaging through the centre next door.

CCTV images were released of the burglar as detectives continue their investigations.

The burglar was filmed caught on day and night CCTV cameras rifling through two tills, attempting to force open a safe with the crowbar and smashing his way into a jewellery cabinet.

Alarms were activated and a suspect described as possibly male, stocky, about 5ft 7ins tall, wearing a black track suit with red flashings was seen running away.

The burglar is believed to have entered the premises by removing a small window frame at the rear of the building.

Owner John Ridgway, whose home is close to the centre, called the police when the alarms were activated. He could hear cabinets being smashed but was advised not to enter the building until the police arrived.

He said: "The police said whatever you do, don't go into the premises, so I had to wait until the police arrived.

"I banged on the door to make sure he knew I was outside talking to the police in the hope that it would make him run off."

The CCTV footage from the early hours of Tuesday shows the burglar armed with a crowbar rifling through two tills, attempting to force open a safe with the crow bar and smashing his way into a jewellery cabinet.

Mr Ridgway added: "I saw him as he ran away, I chased him across the car park trying to take photos of him as I was running. A couple of minutes after that, the police arrived.

More CCTV from the burglary:

"He must have been stupid – there are night-vision cameras and monitors so he could have seen himself walking around in the centre, at times without his hood up, and now we have very clear images of him which have been passed to the police."

Mr Ridgway said about £850 cash was stolen from the tills and £15,000 to £20,000 worth of jewellery taken in the burglary, which happened at about 2am on Tuesday.

He added: "These images have already been posted on Facebook, so hopefully the burglar will be apprehended quickly.

"Old Mill staff were amazing on Tuesday morning, clearing everything up prior to the Perry and Phillips antiques auction set to take place in the adjoining building later that day."

West Mercia Police said investigations were continuing and no arrests had yet been made.

If anyone has any information in relation to this incident, call 101 and quote reference number 0041s of February 7. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org