A till containing nearly £1,000 was stolen from a Norfolk mayor's business after thieves bent metal bars and unscrewed smash-proof windows to get access to his shop.

Roy Brame, who is the Mayor of Thetford, discovered the break-in on the morning of Monday, January 7, after his son came into work to find bent window bars and a stolen till with an estimated £8/900 inside.

Cobra Domestic Appliances is based on Whitehart Street in the town and has been run by Mr Brame for more than 40 years.

Mr Brame said: 'Normally I don't worry because we have people in the flat upstairs which is a great deterrent but we're in the process of changing tenants so they have obviously spent time in that alleyway which police always tell me they keep an eye on.

'I know that alleyway which I have complained about and I asked if I could put a gate up there years ago and was told no. You just think to yourself, bloody hell.'

Mr Brame echoed calls for better CCTV on the street made last week by the owner of the Thomas Paine Hotel, Gez Chetal, which had been targeted by vandals who smashed two windows on two different nights.

The mayor said he was angry at the continued lack of CCTV to protect businesses on Whitehart Street, something he has been campaigning to improve for years.

He said: 'I had on Whitehart Street when I first moved in. I had my windows smashed like the Thomas Paine Hotel has had recently and I was told the CCTV camera doesn't go up that way.

'It has never been deemed necessary to move the camera. I have been asking for more CCTV up there all the years I have had a shop on the road which is now nearly 10 years.

'This is just taking it too far.'

A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: 'Police are investigating after a premises in Whitehart Street was broken into sometime between 4pm on Saturday 5 January and 9am on Monday 7 January.

'Suspect(s) have gained access and stolen a till. Anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with information should call Norfolk Police on 101.'