Raiders foiled in attack on store

Owner tells of terrifying late-night incident in village shop

THE owner of Woolton Hill Stores has spoken out after two men broke into his shop in the early hours of Sunday, as his family slept upstairs.

At approximately 2am, the men smashed the glass in the window and door to gain access to the store and post office.

The noise woke the Patel family, who were sleeping upstairs.

They went downstairs and called the police.

Raj Patel, who has owned Woolton Hill Stores for five years, said: “We all came downstairs, but not in the shop and shouted that the police had been called.

“One man came into the shop to get the till and shouted at me that if I came into the store he would kill me.

“It was very frightening at the time because I have never seen such a thing.

“It is a nice village with nice people, but I did think with the world the way it is, maybe I upset someone.

“But they were just after money – I don’t keep any valuables in the store at night, so they didn’t get anything.

“They ran away and took a Swiss roll and jam tarts with them, and they then dropped them outside.”

Despite the ordeal, Mr Patel opened the store the next day and cleaned up the glass.

He said: “I have to keep all the customers happy. I had the papers in my car and needed to give them to the customers.

“Just sitting down doesn’t do anything – you have to get back to normal straight away.

“The sad thing is that we have just refurbished the shop and now I have to replace the windows and the door.”

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that offenders left the scene in a dark-coloured hatchback.

One of them cut his hand on the broken glass and left blood at the scene.

No arrests have been made yet and anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting reference 44170469360 or they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.