A ram raid at a shop in Broughty Ferry has cost the business £19,000, the owner has revealed.
Two thieves smashed a car into the window of the Premier store on Claypotts Road last week, before making off with cigarettes and tobacco worth £2,000.
Shop owner Saim Mohammad, said damage to the building and goods is worth £17,000 – bringing the total cost to the business to £19,000.
Saim hopes his insurance will cover the cost but says his shop has suffered in the meantime. He also had to pay for extra staff to clean up the mess.
Thieves pocketed cigarettes and tobacco in Ferry Premier shop raid
The thieves struck just before 5am last Wednesday, reversing a car into the shop window.
The pair then ran in and pocketed tobacco and cigarettes worth around £2,000.
They tried to leave in their car, however it was damaged during the crash and they fled on foot.
The car smashed into shelves of wine, damaging £10,000 worth of bottles.
Saim said: “I’m trying to claim it all back on insurance but at the moment I don’t know.
“We’re still looking at the policy and the criteria but we’ve provided everything – let’s just see what happens.
“We tried our best to get back to normal the very next day after the crash.
“We requested a new window from Vertex and I’m very grateful to them.
“They handled everything externally and internally I hired extra staff to start cleaning the mess.”
Staff left cleaning shop for days after break-in
Despite being able to reopen quickly, the raid has left Saim worrying about the future of his business.
Other thefts nearby have left him fearing a second break-in.
The 41-year-old said: “I’m worried because I saw in the newspaper today that something happened in Campfield.
“It’s a bit of a worrying situation for me.
“It’s very difficult.
“People think that if anything happens you can just claim insurance on it straight away but that’s not always the case.
“Even if you can claim, your premium goes up.
“For the thieves it’s a fun, small thing, but they never realise how we have been suffering after it.
“It took days for us to clear all that mess and bring things back to normal.”
The shopkeeper has also urged Ferry residents to support the business during this tough time.
He added: “This is their local shop.
“If they support us we are going to come back stronger.
“Their support is going to strengthen us.”
Police Scotland is investigating the break-in and says inquiries are ongoing.
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