A TOWN centre shop was raided by thieves in hockey masks, just two months after it opened.

Phoenix electronic cigarette shop, in New Street, Braintree, was targeted by what is believed to be two men at about 3.20am on Monday morning.

After smashing in through the front door with a hammer the thieves left the shop, which opened on December 9, taking the till with them.

Manager Danny Ball, 27, said: “It was two lads, I’m assuming lads, wearing hockey masks and tracksuits. You can see they walk past the shop three times before they come in.

“They smashed through the bottom glass panel of the door, one stayed outside on the phone and the other came in and went straight to the two display cabinets and smashed it with what looks like a hammer.

“They have taken e-cigarettes and tanks, I think because they are quite easy to move on. They have grabbed the till, which had £100 float money in it, and then they were off in about five minutes.”

Mr Ball believes the theft, along with the damage, has left the shop about £1,500 out of pocket.

He has so far paid to repair the damaged door and will be investing in a new alarm system.

He said: “We haven’t yet been able to do a stock take so we can’t say for sure how much.

“We had to close until the CSI team got there at about 11am and then we were open again, but they have managed to get some prints.

“Nothing like this has happened before and I hope it never will again.

We have CCTV footage and there are signs all over the door saying that.”

The two men are described as about 6ft tall wearing hockey masks and tracksuits.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101.