AN INDEPENDENT Chard business has been left shocked and out of pocket after a man allegedly smashed the shop window with an axe before escaping on a motorcycle.

Neil Ling, of Area 51 Antiques and Collectables, was shocked to discover his shop had been broken into just days before the company’s fourth anniversary.

The Holyrood Street business was struck on the morning of Sunday, July 1.

Neil was alerted to the crime by calls from the police and after looking at his CCTV was shocked to see a man on a small motorbike, smash a small hole in his reinforced window using an axe, a take a number of items - mostly silver.

Chard & Ilminster News:

He said: “They took some silver jewellery, things like that.

“It was on the Sunday morning at bang on 4.40am.

“This is the first time something like this has happened and it was just a couple of days before my fourth anniversary.

“It has been a rubbish way to start my fifth year of trading.”

Neil shared the news of his break-in and the 16 items that had been taken in a post on Facebook that day.

Within minutes, the post had been shared more than 40 times by other local antiques dealers.

He added: “He got off his bike and straight away started to break the window.

“He woke up the guy who lives above the shop across the street, who called the police.

“They were there within two minutes but he had already gone.”

Chard & Ilminster News:

Unfortunately Neil does not know who the suspect is but believes he is in his 20s and hopes someone will recognise him from the CCTV.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: “We were called at 4.42am on July 1 to Holyrood Street to reports of a break in at a commercial premises.

“An investigation is underway. There have been no arrests.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 with crime reference number 5218145016.