A coffee shop owner fears burglars who stole a safe from her shop during a weekend raid may return.

The Corner Cafe in Mortimer Street was broken into in the early hours of Monday morning.

Its owner, who asked not to be named, did not know what had happened until she received a phone call at 6am that day.

“We later came down here to then see the door smashed and glass everywhere in the shop,” she said.

“It’s hard enough nowadays to make a living without people coming along and trying to destroy it for you.

“We’ve had the shop for about eight months. We haven’t had any incidents like this before. I think it’s pretty, pretty low if you’re that desperate to come to the point in your life where you do this.”

The owner says CCTV cameras in the shop show three people – wearing light-coloured coats with the hoods covering their faces, Nike trainers and dark trousers – trying to break in between 12.30am and 12.45am.

She added that two of them entered the cafe; while the other one kept a lookout.

“They first came and tried to break into the door, but I think they got spooked because they cleared off,” she said.

“They came back and smashed the glass, but couldn’t get through so they took the bottom panel of the door out.

“It took them a few attempts and they were doing it with a crowbar. They came in, took the safe and cleared off.”

She says the safe only contained about £60 in loose change and receipts, but estimates that the repairs will cost the cafe about £300 in total.

“Now, I think, if they haven’t got what they wanted, ‘will they come here again?’” she added.

“The worrying thing is that being down here in the middle of three banks you’d think it’d be a bit more secure.”

Police believe the incident may be linked to an attempted burglary at a takeaway restaurant in the High Street the same morning.

Anyone with information has been urged to call officers on 01843 222289, quoting the reference number 05-0186, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.