THOUSANDS of pounds worth of stock was stolen from two businesses in Tavistock last Friday, during an audacious night-time attack.

Thieves cut the locks securing the pannier market gates to gain access to the premises within the perimeter of the market hall, some time after 12.30am.

The premises targetted were shoe shop Georgie M and TRC & Training Ltd. Wendy George, owner of Georgie M, said she had lost around £29,000 worth of stock in the raid, mainly shoes and some bags.

'It would have taken them a long time, there were more than 700 boxes,' said Wendy, who said it was 'a big shock' to come to work and find scenes of crime officers at the shop.

'Although it's not my home, they are stealing from me personally,' said Wendy, who wanted to thank local business people and the police for their support since the attack.

'We are still open, we do have summer shoes left, we just need summer to start,' she said.

Janet Mashford, of TRC and Training Ltd, the computer training and recycling project based in Tavistock Pannier Market, lost not only her own goods but customers' computer equipment in the raid — and cash being collected for charity.

Janet said: 'All our new stock was stolen, plus donated equipment.

'We are a non-profit making project, so it's a massive blow to us. Hopefully, insurance will pay out, but meanwhile we need to buy new stock just to keep going.'

Janet said her daughter, Janette, was part of a team doing a sponsored walk from Paddington to Plymouth, and the collection box in which her customers had been putting spare change was taken.

The team members are walking to raise funds for the Royal Marines' Charitable Trust and Jeremiah's Journey, a Plymouth-based charity that offers bereavement support.

Janet said: 'We don't want the charity to miss out, so we will be making a donation on people's behalf, but when Bob's Café heard about the theft, they brought their tips over to donate, which just shows most people are good in the world.'

Janet said customers had been very understanding — but the loss was hard to take.

'It's hard work and we don't do it for profit, I don't get paid, I do it because it makes a difference to people's lives, but it is a set-back.'

Janet has issued an urgent appeal to anyone with unwanted or old computer equipment to consider donating it to her recycling project.

Sgt Dave Anning, of Tavistock Police, said: 'This is a very unusual crime. It's clearly quite a major job, and as they go, reasonably professional.

'I can't imagine anyone stealing that amount of shoes on the off-chance, it's obviously someone who has a market for them.'

Sgt Anning said police would be comparing the incident with others regionally to see if there were similarities.

Town beat manager Cathy Veale said: 'This had clearly been planned — a CCTV camera had been turned, and with the amount of stock taken, they would have needed people and a vehicle to take it away, so it's not an opportunistic theft.

'Also, because the stock is reasonably unique they would have had to consider where they are going to get rid of it.'

PC Veale said police were asking traders in the area to be vigilant. Anyone with information or who may have seen a vehicle in the area between 12.30am and 5.45am on Friday, to contact police, quoting crime reference JT12/5/59 and JT 12/5/60.

Anyone who has been offered cheap computer equipment or shoes should also call the police.