Thieves smashing their way into Wigan homes and businesses with huge concrete slabs

Officers in the borough have urged vigilance among homeowners following a spate of similar crimes in recent weeks, particularly in the Hindley area.

Officers say lumps of concrete are being used by offenders to smash their way into patios and windows to gain entry to steal items within.

A GMP spokesman said: “A tall white male has been spotted and disturbed in the Carr Street area of Hindley, he made off when disturbed, male described as tall, wearing a dark hoody and a grey scarf around his face.”

Items stolen using the dangerous break-in method have included a Playstation console and jewellery which police said was of “great value.”

The police said: “Please be vigilant, lock gates and remove bins from near walls to the rear of your property.”

The warning comes just days after a popular Wigan cafe was broken into in exactly the same manner.

Sarah Clarke and Stella Dixon, owners of the Deli-icious cafe in Bryn, found their business had been ransacked overnight when they arrived for work on Tuesday morning.

A pair of hooded thieves had used a lump of concrete to shatter the cafe’s glass front door. They then crawled into the building through the debris before trawling through the building for things to steal.

They got away with a “substantial amount of cash” and left the owners devastated.

Sarah, said: “We have been in this area for 13 years. We moved here about three months ago, but only moved 100 metres or so from where we had been. We are proud of our community, so this is really upsetting.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.