IPSWICH: Police are today hunting a balaclava-clad thief who snatched around �1,600 of tobacco and cash from two shops in the town.

Jo Thewlis

IPSWICH: Police are today hunting a balaclava-clad thief who snatched around �1,600 of tobacco and cash from two shops in the town.

The burglar smashed through a glass door at the Snax24 garage in Ellenbrook Road between 12.40am and 12.50am on Friday before allegedly emptying the shop's cigarette gantry into a black bin.

The man is believed to have made off with around 90 per cent of the store's tobacco and cigarettes.

Captured on CCTV, it was claimed the man took less than three minutes to prize the display cabinet open before making off with the goods as well as �320 cash from behind the counter.

Alarms triggered by the break-in alerted staff to the theft who arrived too late to stop the man who had fled in a dark-coloured saloon car with a sunroof.

Staff at the store believe the man may have been watching the premises for some time.

The man is described as white, of medium build and wearing dark clothing including a three-quarter length coat, a black balaclava and gloves.

Police are linking the crime to another raid on a shop in Selkirk Road which was also targeted on the same night.

The store was broken into between 12.30am and 1am. The offender or offenders forced their way into a locked cabinet and display unit to steal �1,000 of tobacco and cigarettes.

Anyone with information about the two attacks is asked to contact the Ipswich Neighbourhood Response Team on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Do you know anything about the raids? Call The Evening Star news desk on 01473 324788 or e-mail starnews@eveningstar.co.uk