A thief repeatedly crashed a stolen dump truck into a Kirkcaldy supermarket before running away, it has been claimed.
A large police presence remained at the Cooperative store on Lauder Road throughout Monday, with the building sealed off following the dramatic early hours incident.
The south-west corner of the premises were destroyed by the smash, with the vehicle left stricken at the scene following what is thought to have been a bungled raid.
One eyewitness said that a single person wearing a face mask appeared to be responsible, before choosing to flee the scene.
The local resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “I was sleeping in the front room and I heard some banging outside.
“This was at the back of 3am.
“I thought it might have been someone hitting my car.
“I looked out and I saw this guy, about 23 to 25 years old, and he kept ramming the wall.
“He hit it four times, gave up and jumped off and ran towards the back of the Fife Society for the Blind building.”
It has since emerged that the truck, described as a six-tonne Benford swivel dumper, had been stolen from a business premises in the nearby Hayfield Industrial Estate.
Calling on any witnesses to contact the police, Detective Inspector Graeme Dursley of Kirkcaldy CID said: “The premises will remain closed while we conduct our investigations at the scene and a full assessment of the damage to the building will need to be carried out.
“I’d urge anyone who may have been in the area of Hayfield Industrial Estate or Lauder Road in the early hours of the morning to get in touch.
“If you saw any suspicious behaviour or may have witnessed the truck travelling between these two locations, then please come forward.”
With the supermarket having sustained significant damage, a spokesperson for the Co-op said that it is not known when the store will be able to reopen.
“Extensive damage was caused to the store, and it is too early to say when it will re-open,” a spokesperson said.
“CCTV coverage has been shared with police, who are investigating, and we would appeal for anyone with information to come forward.
“We apologise to the community for the inconvenience caused during the store’s temporary closure and would encourage customers to use our nearby store on Bennochy Road.”
jowatson@thecourier.co.uk.
