Thieves who forced their way into a store early this morning (Friday) and stole cigarettes have caused its temporary closure.

The Co Op store on the High Street in Stotfold was broken into in the early hours of today (March 28).

The shop has been closed while investigations are carried out and the door is secured.

A spokesperson for The Co-operative Food said: “In the early hours of this morning (28 March) our store on High Street, Stotfold, was broken into and a quantity of cigarettes was stolen. The store is closed while investigations are carried out and repairs to the doors are completed.

“We expect to reopen this afternoon. We would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience this caused. CCTV will be given to the police and, as with any incident such as this, we would appeal for anyone with information to come forward.”

Anyone with information about the incident should call Bedfordshire Police’s non-emergency 101 number or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.