By Mohamed Ansar

Two Co-op stores in Mirfield and Thornhill have been robbed of cigarettes just a week apart. Police are linking the burglaries to the same gang of Four.

On 9 January at around 10:45pm three men broke into the Thornhill store after prising the shutters with a crow-bar and smashing a window. The suspects left through the damged window and made off in an unknown direction.

A week later on the 16 January at 00:50am, three men wearing balaclava’s entered the Mirfield store after a dark coloured Mercedes reversed into a window. The men got back into the car , which had a forth man and drove off at speed along Sunny Bank Avenue.

In both crimes a large amount of cigeretts were stolen, the Thornhill robbery amounted to over £3000 worth of cigarettes.

Suspects were described as wearing light grey or white tops, one of which had a stripe down one arm. The driver of the car was wearing a dark coloured top.

Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact Dewsbury CID or the Dewsbury and Mirfield NPT via 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111