Northampton newsagents closes its doors for the same burglars smashed their way in twice in a week

Andrew Cruden has owned the Mace shop in St Giles Street since 2002, but has decided to end his lease on the premises today because of fears over his and his wife Sharon's safety.

Early on Friday morning, two men took cigarettes and scratch cards worth £3,500 before causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

But just as the business was recovering from the break-in, two raiders - almost certainly the same men - struck again.

On Tuesday morning, they took £250 worth of alcohol and two collection pots meant for cancer charities.

Now Mr Cruden says enough is enough, especially as the raids come just months after his shop was ram-raided in September.

"It has really worried my wife because she is in there on her own sometimes," he said.

"Yesterday, when she was at work she was always thinking, 'Are they going to do it again in the daytime'?

"We just thought it was time to call it a day there."

Mr Cruden said he enjoyed his time in St Giles Street and though he has a shop in Market Square, which will continue trading, he will miss some "fantastic customers".

But he said that part of town is poorly covered by CCTV, which is partly why he feels he has been targeted so many times.

"There has been a lot of this around town recently.

"Over the past three months there has been eight or nine businesses I know of hit by burglaries.

"I guess it's part of being a business owner now, there is always a chance you will be robbed, you just hope it doesn't happen to you."

The first burglary on Friday, March 31, happened at 3.34am and though the two men were masked, one man was wearing a distinct jacket, clearly visible on Mr Cruden's in-store CCTV footage.

The second raid was at 4.55am on Tuesday, April 4 and a man is wearing the same distinct jacket bearing the number "R5204".

If you know of any information that could help police, call the force on 101.