A NEWSAGENT owner has described the moment he was woken in the middle of the night by a gang of men smashing their way into his shop in St Mary Cray.

Four men jumped off a pair of powerful motorbikes in the early hours of yesterday morning (October 13), before attacking the News at 10 newsagent with crowbars.

They also targeted the off-licence next door, swiping thousands of pounds worth of cigarettes from both shops.

News at 10 owner Darren Chambers was sleeping above his shop in Marion Crescent when he heard the gang ripping apart his security shutters with heavy duty crowbars at 12.55am.

He then watched the drama unfold from his window.

The 26-year-old said: “I was frantic upstairs.

“I was banging on the window and shouting while I was on the phone to the police but the men took no notice of me.

“The alarm was going off and they were making a hell of noise banging the shutters but it didn’t put them off at all.”

The break in, lasting no more than five minutes, was all caught on Mr Chambers’ CCTV system and showed the thieves filling a large cloth bag with hundreds of packets of cigarettes.

They had forced their way inside the shop by violently dismantling security shutters and kicking their way through reinforced glass.

Golf club

Mr Chambers, who also works for British Gas, said: “I am just glad my girlfriend wasn’t with me.

“The whole thing was just an adrenaline rush. After the men had left I came down with my trusty nine iron golf club to see the damage.

“The whole shop would have been pitch black but that didn’t bother them. They knew exactly what they were doing.”

Bromley police say their officers arrived as the two bikes raced off towards Poverest Road.

Cops continued their pursuit of the gang as they sped through Orpington High Street, Green Street Green and then Salt Box Hill in Biggin Hill.

The thieves then successfully made their escape in the Addington area.

A police spokesman says the newsagent and neighbouring off-license had a total of more than £15,000 of cigarettes stolen.

Anyone with information should call Bromley police on 01689 891212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.