Cigarette Thieves Target Delivery Vans

For the second time in two days, a thief has 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 at around 8.30am on Thursday, 7 July..

The driver went into Thompson’s Newsagents, and while he was in the shop, a man climbed into the back of his lorry and stole the cigarettes along with 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.

In a separate theft the day before, another driver had £2000 worth of cigarettes taken in Rownhams Road as he made a delivery to a shop. He was punched several times in the face as he tried to stop the man getting away.

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.