Store break-in leaves Mexborough woman too frightened to live above shop

A window was smashed and a till drawer taken in the raid on Margaret’s Store in Mexborough on Sunday morning.

And owner Margaret Jackson said daughter Lucy — who was trapped inside by the burglar — had not been back since.

She added: “I really can’t believe what’s happened, and it was all for £100 that was in the till.

“He has ragged the till away so hard that it’s left one prong from the plug still in the socket and somehow got it out of the window.”

“My daughter’s lived here since she was four but says she won’t come back now after this. She’s terrified and has been staying with a friend in Wickersley.

“I’ve never had anything like this in all my 27 years here. We have shutters and we’re secure, which we didn’t used to be.

“And I’ve got so many nice locals around here. You get to know everybody, so I don’t think the man who did this was from this area.”

Margaret, who has run the convenience store in Pym Road since 1990, was awoken on Sunday morning by Lucy, who called to say someone was messing with the shutters downstairs.

“The alarm went off when he smashed the window,” said Margaret, who lives away from the premises.

“When we got here, a neighbour said she had seen a man jump over the wall of the property and run up the road. She phoned the police.

“My daughter tried to get out of the door but it had been tied with a rope so whoever it was wouldn’t be disturbed.”

South Yorkshire Police said the incident happened at about 6.40am.

A spokeswoman added: “Damage was caused to the store in the burglary and a quantity of cash was taken.

“An investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to report it via 101 quoting incident number 201 of January 14.”