Burglar 'caused £500 damage' for bottle of brandy

A hammer-wielding burglar caused hundreds of pounds of damage when he broke into a shop and stole a bottle of brandy.

Bildeston Village Stores and Post Office in Suffolk was broken into at about 04:20 GMT on Thursday, with the culprit smashing his way through the front door's glass window.

After triggering the alarm and alerting the shop's owner and postmaster Philip Alcoe, who lives above, the burglar was "frightened off" and fled with some brandy.

Suffolk Police attended the scene of the break-in - which Alcoe described as being a "kick in the teeth" - and urged anyone with information to contact them.

Alcoe told the BBC that the burglar, who he described as an "unsavoury character", unsuccessfully tried to "put a hammer through the front window" before returning minutes later to "kick the door in with some force".

His presence alerted his dogs and his daughter, who is currently staying with him with her 12-week-old baby.

"The door repair is going to cost £500, when things are tight, economically," he said.

"It's just the disruption - it's an invasion of our privacy and leaves us feeling very unsettled.

"It's an absolute kick in the teeth and very unnerving, because these people are just ruthless and have no care for anybody."

The break-in came "almost two years to the day" since Alcoe's shop was "cleared out" in February 2024 by a burglar who used the same method to get inside.

"It's so disappointing because this is becoming all too common," he added.

"I'm a pretty resilient character and we're certainly never going to give up, but it's high time we stood up to these undesirables.

"The police have got an enormous task on their hands trying to stop these criminals who've got total disregard for a little village shop."

Police said they had launched an investigation after reports that the burglar alarm had activated at the premises and "loud banging and glass smashing" was heard.

"At this time, it appears the only thing stolen is a bottle of brandy," a spokesperson said.

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