Three masked men attempted to cut their way into a local post office facility in Boxgrove, Merrow using a chain saw and axle grinder in a bid to break the door lock on a Friday night.
The thieves managed to get into the store in Collingwood Crescent, just before 10.40pm after smashing a window in the door. The Post Office section of the store was only recently reopened following refurbishment.
The intruders tried to access the cash machine, but the SmokeCloak security device was activated as a result. The suspects grabbed a case of scratch cards and kicked over a lottery machine before making a getaway in a darkly coloured car.
A large quantity of different types of scratch cards were stolen in the raid and £1200 worth of damage was caused to the property and the lottery machine.
Temporary Detective Inspector Mark Parry of Guildford CID said, "This was an offence that would appear to have been pre-planned, with the suspects arriving armed with tools to attempt to gain entry to the store. It seems that the offenders panicked when the SmokeCloak alarm was set off, and they grabbed whatever was to hand – in this case lottery scratch cards."
