Thieves have smashed their way into six businesses in one night at a Perthshire estate during an early morning crime spree.
The break-ins at the Jamesfield Centre at Abernethy were followed by two more raids at Kinross Golf Club and Raj Indian restaurant on Kinross High Street later the same morning.
The culprits targeted shops and offices at Jamesfield at around 1.40am on Monday, breaking into a gym, a garden centre and a podiatrist’s premises, among others.
Shocked owners told The Courier the thieves had stolen cash from their units and put out a warning to other businesses to keep tills and floats secure.
Angela Nicholls, owner of the Treehouse and Optimise Gym, said the break-in was the last thing her businesses needed in already hard times.
She said: “We only reopened a couple of weeks ago and had just been told our soft play area can’t open.
“It’s been an unbearably stressful time. Thing like this don’t help at all. We’ve lost the till and we’ve lost a full day and we were fully booked.
“Things like this cost us money we don’t have and stress that we don’t need. It’s just constant with money going out and nothing coming in.
“It’s a warning to other businesses that they seem to be after cash and to keep cash safe and they only seem to be after notes, they’re not that interested in coins.”
Kinross Golf Club was targeted between 3.30 and 3.45am on Monday and two men broke into Raj Indian on Kinross High Street at around 5.20am.
The culprits stole a quantity of cash, a cash register and boxes and bottles of wine and champagne worth a four-figure sum.
They are described as being white, about 5ft 10, wearing a dark hoody and pushing a shopping trolley and white, about 6ft, wearing light clothing and using a white bike.
Police have not formally linked the Kinross crimes but given the time, location and methods used, believe it is a possibility they are connected.
In reference to the Abernethy break-in, a spokesperson for the force said: “Officers are investigating break-ins to five premises in the Abernethy area, as well as one attempted break-in at a premises.
“We received the reports around 8.35am on Monday September 14. Enquiries are ongoing.”
