POWER tools and roofing supplies worth at least £5,000 were snatched by raiders who smashed their way into a shop.

Staff at Pheonix Roofing Supplies in Ware Street, Bearsted, near Maidstone, were left with a massive clean-up operation when their shop was ransacked in the early hours of last Friday.

The thieves smashed a glass front window to enter the premises. Their haul included nail guns, nails, power tools and roofing material.

Pheonix Roofing Supplies has both a roofing supply shop and a warehouse on the Ware Street site, with 20 people working in the offices and a further 40 tilers contracted to the business.

Both the warehouse and shop were locked as normal at 5pm last Thursday evening, but when the first employee arrived to open up at 6am the following morning, he discovered the smashed glass and tools missing.

Sales manager Peter McDermott said: “We want all roofers in the area to be know that this has happened. Whoever did this will probably try to sell the stuff in the next week and people should be aware that there are going to be hot goods on the market. There was some expensive stuff stolen.”

Witnesses or anyone with information is askedd to call the Maidstone and Malling Police area crime management unit on 01622 608189.