Police are appealing for witnesses after a burglary in which £1,500 of cigarettes was stolen at Oakford Service Station, Kingsteignton, early on Friday.

Thieves broke into the store at the petrol station at 1.30am by forcing the main door.

An alarm was set off and was heard by a resident living nearby, who then alerted the police.

A witness saw two people in grey hooded tops fleeing the scene, one carrying a large box and one holding a big bag.

'The pair were seen getting into a grey vehicle, which resembled a Citroen Saxo, and drove off at speed through Exeter Road in the direction of the Ten Tors pub,' said Det Sgt Neil Ralph, of Newton Abbot CID.

'We would like anyone who saw or heard anything relating to this incident to come forward.

'We would like to emphasize this is a rare type of crime in south Devon and we are using all available resources to identify the suspects.'

Bob Hext, who has been the manager at the garage site for 13 years, arrived at the petrol station at 1.50am to find the damaged door and the cigarette stock depleted.

'The door was replaced and it's business as usual,' he said.

'As far as I can see, the culprits leapt over the counter and forced open the shutter to get to the cigarettes.

'It's the third time the petrol station store has been burgled since I've been here, twice for cigarettes and once for Esso gifts, when we were an Esso garage.

'We've now upped our security.'

Anyone with any information should call the police on 08452 777444 quoting JN/11/187 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or report anonymously online at http://www.Crimestoppers-uk.org">www.Crimestoppers-uk.org.