Police enquiries are ongoing and businesses asked to be vigilant after an alleged £2000 daylight robbery of power tools from a hardware store in Perth.
Andy Mackie, owner of Joinery and Construction Supplies Perth, has called the theft “galling” and “disgusting”.
In what appears to be a shameless trick, CCTV footage shows four men walking in through the doors of the business on the Fair City’s Arran Road.
Minutes later, after three of the group succeeded in distracting staff, a fourth man left the store loaded down with drills and nail guns that had not been paid for.
The items lost were valued by shop staff at £2000.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 20 during the afternoon.
MKM Building Supplies also revealed on social media that they had been targeted.
Mr Mackie, who has several branches of the company he founded in Perth 13 years ago, said normally his staff would have been “super hot” on this type of stunt.
But the robbery was timed so one employee was away taking lunch and another who would ordinarily be stationed by where the tools were displayed was off on holiday.
Mr Mackie returned from business at one of his other outlets “within a minute” of when the car with the offenders drove out the car park.
“It’s galling,” he said yesterday. “I’d like them to be caught. Ideally I’d like the tools back. I want them to face justice. What they did was disgusting.”
The CCTV footage from inside the store was shared widely on social media by the furious owner.
In a post to alert other businesses that might be targeted, Joinery Construction Supplies copied stills from the security camera.
The post added: “Whilst three of them occupied our sales staff, [a fourth man] walked out the door with two Paslode PPN guns, a Festool drill, a Festool Jigsaw, four Makita 5AH batteries and a Makita Impact drill.
“We know for certain the same [individuals] have hit at least three other merchants in Perth and another in Dundee since last Saturday. They are travelling in a dark coloured Peugeot saloon estate car.
“Any information/sightings would be gratefully received.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers were called to reports of a theft from a premises on Arran Road, Perth at around 3.40pm on Wednesday, July 20.
“Enquiries are ongoing. Anyone who may have any information should contact police on 101 quoting incident 2325 of July 20.”
