A BIKE shop has been targeted three times by thieves in the weeks since the owner took it over.

Daniel Higgins, of Globe G Sports, in Military Road, Colchester, said local police officers’ faces were now very familiar to him , since he’d had to call them so often.

The latest incident was at about 3.30am on Wednesday, when three men tried to smash their way through the shop’s front window, using a hammer.

He said: “They’ve smashed the window and it will cost £350 to fix.

“They broke the hammer trying to get in – we found the head. When they couldn’t get in, they ran off.”

Mr Higgins took over the shop from his grandfather last October.

Days later, a bike was stolen from outside the shop.

Last month, a man was arrested after breaking through the main door and trying to steal the till.

Now police are appealing for information about the latest raid.

Mr Higgins said: “It has been quite a start for me with the shop.

“I am not sure why this keeps happening.

We have CCTV.

“It is not the police’s fault. their job is just to catch them.

“The guy caught in the shop was jailed for 12 weeks, but I won’t get anything for the £2,500 damage he caused.

“This time, it was all damage. They got nothing, while I’ve lost a lot of time with police, repairs and all the paperwork.

“It was a good Christmas for the shop, but three crimes in ten weeks is a lot.”

Anyone with information about the latest incident is asked to call Colchester police on 101.