Tesco break-in's in Hartlepool

Officers in Hartlepool are appealing for information following two burglaries at the Tesco store on Burn Road in Hartlepool.

The first break took place at around 3.35am on Monday 8th January, when two men smashed a window at the front of the store to gain entry. Once inside, a shutter behind the service desk has been forced open and cigarettes and tobacco worth £2,900 were stolen. The men then fled the store, one onto Burn Road and one in the direction of the A689.

One of the suspects is described as slim build, around 5’ 9” tall, wearing a blue coat with black sleeves and a hood, blue tracksuit bottoms and black trainers. He was carrying large bags as he approached the store. The second suspect is described as slim, around 5’9” tall, wearing a black jacket with the hood up, blue Adidas tracksuit bottoms and black trainers. He was also wearing a black woollen hat and a black scarf over his face, and carrying a pick axe as he approached the store.

Around two minutes after these men had left the store, a third man is seen on CCTV entering the store though the same broken window. He also steals cigarettes and tobacco from the store, and flees the store in the direction of the A689. This man is described as 5’ 10” tall, slim build and wearing a black hooded top with the hood over, dark coloured bottoms, black and white trainers and black gloves.

A second burglary took place just a couple of days later, at around 1.20am on Thursday 11th May, when two men again smashed the window to the front of the store with a hammer. Once inside, the men again stole a large quantity of cigarettes from behind the service desk, around £1,000 worth of coins from tills and a number of cordless phones from a display including an I-DECT cordless phone, a Binatone caller blocker triple and BT 3950 cordless phones. Both men headed off towards the A689.

The first man is described as white, medium build, around 6’ tall, wearing a black hooded top with the hood up, blue jeans and black Nike trainers, and carrying bags. The second man is described as 6’ tall and medium build, wearing a grey and navy tracksuit top, blue jeans and was carrying a burgundy duvet cover.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Andrew Morland of Hartlepool Volume Crime Team on 101, or call the charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.