THE owner of a village convenience store is blaming the council after her shop was raided by masked robbers.

Kirtan Desai, of Hunton Bridge Stores in Old Mill Road, was told to remove her shop canopy after her retrospective planning application to have a new awning, was refused by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC).

At about 3am on Sunday, three offenders are said to have broken in to the store, causing considerable damage and making off with goods.

Mrs Desai said: “We had the canopy taken down a few weeks ago and the shop looks a total mess. On Saturday night we had a break-in and we have not had one since the canopy was put up last year.

“Now the council has to decide what it should do, because the street light shines straight into the shop and now people passing by can see the cash machine.

“The canopy used to cover it, but now it is clearly visible.

“We had cigarettes and alcohol stolen.

“They have also damaged the shop and ruined the shelving.”

Mrs Desai, who has owned the store for four years, said that she had five break-ins before the canopy was put up and is upset that the council made her take the canopy down.

She said: “I am not very happy with the council, especially after this.

“But also, since the canopy was taken down, my sales have declined because people think we have shut down, they do not realise this is a shop.”

Nik Oakley, chairman of the Hunton Bridge Conservation Group, which opposed the awning during the application process, said: “The shop has been raided with or without a canopy.

“In her time, the owner has been subject to about three raids, and I have phoned the police for her and guarded the shop until she arrived in the past.”

“Police are investigating the incident; telephone the non-emergency number on 0845 33 00 222 with any information.

“We encourage shopkeepers to take advice from the local crime prevention officer. Gary Sibson can be contacted on 0845 33 00 222 to arrange a visit.”

Kevin Snow, representative for TRDC, said: “An awning would not normally be one of the recommendations of a crime prevention officer to reduce the risk of burglary.

“Burglary remains low in Three Rivers. We ask business owners and residents to work in partnership with the Community Safety Partnership to keep it low.

“We would very much encourage shopkeepers to set up Shop Watch on the lines of the successful Neighbourhood Watch scheme.”