STAFF arrived at a March town centre shop today (Wednesday) to find it had been attacked for the second time since its opening just two weeks ago. And an area supervisor for speciality food retailer Julian Graves says the Broad Street shop has been target

STAFF arrived at a March town centre shop today (Wednesday) to find it had been attacked for the second time since its opening just two weeks ago.

And an area supervisor for speciality food retailer Julian Graves says the Broad Street shop has been targeted more than stores in rough city areas.

The intruders fled after failing to open a safe containing a "considerable amount of money". The only thing stolen was a bottle of soft drink bought by a member of staff the previous day.

After a £40,000 refit the shop had been open just two days when vandals smashed a window.

Area supervisor Marion Darlow was in March on Wednesday hoping to welcome customers during a busy market day. Instead the doors remained locked waiting for police to arrive.

She said: "Welcome to March. We have a shop in Wisbech and have no problems there. We have got them in some really rough parts of London and we don't have these kind of problems.

"The shop has been really popular with customers so it is a shame that others are out to cause problems."

Along with the company's 300 other stores, the till in the March shop is operated from a counter in the front window and the safe is also stored in a cupboard underneath. Mrs Darlow said: "I never feel threatened in our shops because you are at the till in full view of everyone."

Shop supervisor Fay Millard said: "You just don't expect this kind of thing. We use the safe for overnight banking. Perhaps someone saw the safe in the cupboard from the window. People have said how pleased they are because we have opened up here but you don't think this is going to happen twice in two weeks.