Cigarette Thiefs Target Delivery Vans

For the second time in two days, a thief's stolen hundreds of pounds worth of cigarettes from a van driver making a delivery to a shop in Southampton.

Cigarettes worth more than £1500 were stolen from a van in Warren Avenue yesterday.

Another driver had £2000 worth taken in Rownhams Road the day before. He was attacked as he tried to stop the man.

In the second theft, the driver went into Thompson’s Newsagents on Warren Avenue at around 8.30am on Thursday, 7 July.

While he was in the shop, a man climbed into the back of his lorry and stole the cigarettes and rolling tobacco. The man and an accomplice then ran off, carrying two black bin bags into Jessamine Road.

The thief is described as white, around 5ft 10ins tall and of medium build. He was wearing blue jeans, a grey hooded top and white trainers.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or noticed any suspicious activity should contact Shirley CID on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Mini-Com users can call 01962 875000.