A SHOP owner fears that thieves see his store as an “easy target” after it was ram-raided for the second time in six months.

Criminals twice reversed a car into the front of the Londis shop in Redwick Road, Pilning at 3.30am on Tuesday but failed to force their way inside.

This was the second time this year that the shop – which is also the village Post Office – has been ram-raided, with thieves smashing their way inside to steal cigarettes in February.

Akthar Shamim, the shop’s owner, who lives above the store with his family, told the Gazette how they were awoken on Tuesday by the impact of the car hitting the building.

“We saw them and started shouting from the window, but by that time they had driven off,” he said. “Despite getting out of the car and trying to kick down the window, they couldn’t get in.”

The shop’s front window was smashed and there was damage to the brickwork as well as the counter and shelves inside. Fortunately the attack came a week before the front of the shop was set for a facelift, following the damage of the first ram-raid.

“I was shocked to see someone in a peaceful village like this finds you an easy target,” said Mr Shamim. “It is very disturbing that this has happened for the second time in six months.

“You also don’t know what is going to happen to the building, and what structural damage could be caused.

“The whole side of the house could come down and we are only sleeping upstairs.”

He said that the shop will be seeking planning permission to install bollards outside the shop or to install shutters, having previously been turned down around eight years ago.

But despite the family still dealing with the aftermath of the attack, they managed to open the shop on Tuesday.

“When something like that happens, the whole night is ruined,” he said. “We spent the whole morning cleaning up the mess.

“It is that mess they make that frustrates us more than the damage, its everywhere with items from the shelves and broken glass on the floor, and the counter had moved almost a foot.”

The incident was caught on the shop CCTV, which is being handed over to police.

Officers have also asked for anyone with information about the attack to call 101 immediately and give the call handler the reference number 5217163513.