Thieves strike at Co-op in Hermitage again… police believe incident linked to numberplate theft in Thatcham

A food store in Hermitage has been targeted by thieves, and police are linking the crime with the theft of car number plates from Thatcham.

Around midnight on Tuesday, August 6, the front and rear plates were stolen from a Ford Focus parked in Malthouse Close.

Then around 1am on Wednesday, August 7, two men broke into the Co-op on Newbury Road, stealing cash.

Thames Valley Police said they drove off in the direction of Newbury.

One of the offenders is a slim man.

He wore a grey hooded jacket with black sleeves and waist, a face covering, grey trousers and black shoes.

The other offender is of average build.

He wore a royal blue jacket with a black hood, a face covering, dark trousers and black and white trainers.

Detective Constable Calum Murray, of the West Berkshire Priority Crime Team, appealed for anyone with information about the thefts to get in touch.

“If you have any CCTV cameras in the area or if you were driving in the area around the time and have a dashcam, I’d also ask that you check your recordings in case they have captured something that could assist our investigation,” he said.

“Our investigation indicates that the offenders have used a set of vehicle number plates stolen from Malthouse Close, Thatcham, earlier in the evening.

“I am appealing to anyone who may have witnessed any potentially similar persons acting suspiciously in the area of Malthouse Close that night to come forward, including with any CCTV or dashcam footage you may have captured.

“I urge anyone with information or footage to contact us by calling 101 or via our website, quoting reference number 43240376972.”

DC Murray said reports can also be made for free and anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or its website.

He added: “We take retail crime seriously as we know how much it impacts business owners and staff so we will investigate this burglary thoroughly.”

It is not the first time the Co-op store has been raided.

Thieves struck twice in 2022.

In the second incident, the front window and doors were left hanging off their frames.