"They took our lucky cat mascot" - shocking video shows crooks using hammer to smash into Leeds restaurant

Man’s Market on West Point was targeted by thieves in the early hours of Sunday morning, who used a hammer to break the glass door and ransack the restaurant.

It follows similar break-ins over the last two weeks at other establishments in the vicinity including Green Room, Shokupan and Nosh. The above footage shows the moment that the thieves smashed the glass door and searched their way through the business.

Operations manager Simon Robinson said that it happened at “around 4am on June 16” and he was called by the cleaners at 5.30am. He said: “The footage shows two people doing it. One of them clearly knows what they’re doing and the other just seemed to be grabbing at things not worth any money.”

The thieves made off with an iPad, an ordering system, bottles of alcohol and the restaurant’s “lucky cat mascot”.

Mr Robinson said that the most costly loss was the glass door though, saying: “It’s really frustrating as it was a big six foot laminated door. We had to get it done immediately.”

On the spate of burglaries at bars and restaurants in the area he said: “I don’t understand why they’re doing it as no one pays with cash anymore. Even if they get into the safe it’s hardly worth it.”

Chief Inspector Pete Hall, of West Yorkshire Police, issued a statement saying that police were aware of the spate of burglaries in the area. He said that they “appear to follow a similar pattern with the offenders targeting premises in the early hours, smashing glass to enter and taking what items of value are to hand”.