Burglaries are becoming a “major” problem, a shopkeeper has warned, after £10,000 of cigarettes were stolen from his business minutes before another store was targeted.

Deven Vekaria said he knew it was “just a matter of time” before his Londis in Little Oxhey Lane was broken into, after it was targeted at around 2.45am yesterday (August 20). 

The raid has left the 35-year-old thousands of pounds out of pocket after he was forced to shell out £7,000 on replacement cigarettes and vapes, as well as almost £1,000 on repairing the front door.

Deven Vekaria warned it was just a matter of time as burglaries and shoplifting is on the rise.Deven Vekaria warned it was just a matter of time as burglaries and shoplifting is on the rise. (Image: Deven Vekaria) Deven said: “I was frustrated but I wasn’t so upset because I knew it was going to happen eventually. It is happening everywhere. Every shop in every area, it’s just a matter of time.”

He said the burglars “100 per cent knew what they were doing” after they removed individual slats from the metal shutter before smashing the glass door with a sledgehammer.

The burglars stole around £10,000 in cigarettes and vapes from the Londis.The burglars stole around £10,000 in cigarettes and vapes from the Londis. (Image: Deven Vekaria) Once inside, they loaded up sacks with around £10,000 of cigarettes and vapes and left “in the space of a couple of minutes”.

Deven said the burglars knew what they were doing as they removed individual slats from the metal shutter.Deven said the burglars knew what they were doing as they removed individual slats from the metal shutter. (Image: Deven Vekaria) Burglars also stole thousands of pounds of cigarettes from the News Bit newsagent in Villiers Road just over a mile away at 3am yesterday, and police confirmed they are treating both incidents as being connected.

Two suspects also broke the News Bit's shutters and smashed the glass door to break into the business before fleeing on a moped.

News Bit in Villiers Road was also targeted by burglars at the same time.News Bit in Villiers Road was also targeted by burglars at the same time. (Image: Google Maps/Tony Allen) It comes after around £1,000 of cigarettes, vapes and tobacco were also stolen from the Post Office in Carpenders Park on June 19 in the space of just two and a half minutes, according to the CCTV timestamps.

The Londis owner has warned that burglaries and shoplifting are on the rise in the area, adding: “It’s becoming a major thing now because business is not easy and they are stressful times right now. 

“If I didn’t have savings, I would have been screwed because where would I find another seven grand on the day to fill up my stock just to keep my shop going?”

Any information can be reported on 101, online at herts.police.uk/report  or to oxhey@herts.police.uk, quoting HC-20082024-0043 for the Londis in Little Oxhey Lane and 41/69072/24 for News Bit in Villiers Road.