Electronic goods including iPads and mobile phones worth thousands of pounds were stolen by thieves who ram-raided the Stevenage branch of Game with a moped last night.

Police said the raid happened at the games retailer in Queensway last night at about 10.20pm, when two people entered Stevenage town centre on a blue moped from the direction of Next.

After trying to through the shutters at Game, they drove the moped into the shutters – damaging them to the extent they were able to get at the main doors and force them open.

Once inside, the thieves smashed cabinets and loaded electronic equipment into a black recycling box. They then made off on the moped in the direction of St George’s Way.

Police said today they had recovered a moped from a garage block between Claymores and Stony Croft in the Bedwell area of Stevenage, which officers believe is the vehicle used in last night’s raid.

Officers from the Stevenage local crime unit have appealed for anyone with information to get in touch as soon as possible.

Det Sgt Fay Tooley said: “We are hoping that there would still have been people in the area who may have information which could help with our enquiries.

“This is an unusual type of crime for Stevenage so we are hoping that someone may have seen the offenders prior to the burglary, making off or abandoning the bike. The passenger would have been holding the black box which may have attracted attention.”

Anyone with information should call DS Tooley on 101, quoting crime reference 41/64/17/18. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-uk.org.