A village shop raided by masked men in January has been hit again by a gang of robbers - who this time confronted the shop's owner.Victoria Stores in Mattishall was hit by four men who smashed through the front door of the shop, ordered its owner to stay inside and stole cigarettes and tobacco.

A village shop raided by masked men in January has been hit again by a gang of robbers - who this time confronted the shop's owner.

Victoria Stores in Mattishall was hit by four men who smashed through the front door of the shop, ordered its owner to stay inside and stole cigarettes and tobacco.

The raid was on Friday night between 10.10pm and 10.15pm.

The robbers are described as wearing pulled down beanie style hats. They made off in a dark coloured saloon car.

Just two months ago owner Gillian Currie vowed she would not be beaten by the burglars after they broke into the shop and stole �2,500 worth of cigarettes.

During that raid, at about 2.15am on January 31, she saw three burglars making off in a car after being woken by the shop's alarm.

They had smashed the glass in the front door of the shop with a hammer or mallet and climbed through the window.

The shop had CCTV footage of one of the men, all in masks, crowbarring a cigarette unit off the wall and throwing it over the counter.

Police believe the same gang also tried to break into the post office at Lyng on the same morning. That post office had also been targeted earlier the same month, on January 3.

Three stores in the Dereham and Fakenham area were raided in the early hours of January 7, at Melton Constable, Swanton Morley and Mileham.

In December Barnham Broom village shop and a shop in Hempnall were raided.

Anyone with any information should contact DC Mark Sneath on 0845 4564567 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.