A computer shop owner has offered a £500 reward to help catch “toerags” who stole £2,500 worth of laptops in what he has called a “daylight robbery”.
Steve Timewell said the theft from Lincs Computers was a “kick in the teeth” and “devastating” as he works 16-hour days, seven days a week to make the business a success.
The theft happened at about 4.45pm last Wednesday, when assistant Daniel Burton was alone in the shop in Wygate Park.
He was helping a customer, who he and Steve now believe was also involved in the theft, with a part for his computer.
Daniel said: “The first I knew about it was when someone ran into the shop and said they thought we had just been robbed because they had seen two men running away with about six laptops.
“By that time they were long gone.”
Daniel, who has worked at the shop for about a year and a half, called Steve and the police.
Steve said: “Daniel was in a bit of a panic when he rang.
“As soon as I walked into the shop it was plain to see from the gaps on the shelf what they had taken.
“They had picked up the best laptops.
“My guess is that they had been in the shop before and worked out that if there is only one person working and they are serving a customer at the counter, that person can’t see the shelf where the laptops are.
“I’m convinced that the customer Daniel was serving was in on it and was supposed to distract him while they committed daylight robbery and just walked out with what they wanted.
“They obviously knew what they were doing and which laptops were of the highest value.
“I have to ask myself why I am bothering working all these hours when these toerags can just walk in and do this.
“It is a kick in the teeth – totally devastating.”
The two men are described as in their teens. Both are believed to be foreign nationals and one was wearing a red hoodie.
Steve has offered a £500 reward to anyone who has information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the thieves.
Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting incident number 331 of March 4.
