The owner of a recently opened takeaway shop in Dereham arrived to open for business this afternoon to discover that the premises had been burgled and the intruders had left a trail of debris in their wake.

The owner of a recently opened takeaway shop in Dereham arrived to open for business this afternoon to discover that the premises had been burgled and the intruders had left a trail of debris in their wake.

It is the latest in a spate of burglaries in Dereham and the break-in at the Italian Job at Glencoe Court, near the town's Cheery Tree pub, forced owner Hal Korogla to close tonight while the damage and mess was cleared up.

Mr Korogla estimates that with food products from freezers lost and equipment damage he will have suffered loses running into thousands of pounds. They took an estimated �120 from the till. He was hoping to be open for business tomorrow afternoon and evening

Intruders got in through the roof in the early hours of today and it was discovered at 3.30pm this afternoon.

It follows a similar break-in of the adjoining premises of Dads and Lads barber's shop overnight on January 25 and 26 when access was also gained through a hole in the roof. The intruders emptied the contents of three charity boxes, including one for the Light Dragoons.

At the barber's shop the intruders wrote messages on the walls with references to cat burglars. 'You've been done by the cat burglars' was one of the messages.

Owner Brian Cuddihy said he no longer keeps any cash on his premises.

The burglaries are the latest in a number of break-ins at premises in Dereham and the Eagle News in the Market Place has been targeted by thieves twice in a matter of days.

Police investigating the break-ins are anxious to hear from anyone who may have witnessed anything suspicious in the area between the relevant times or from anyone with information about the suspects.

The public should contact Paul Baker at Dereham police station on 0845 456 4567 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.