THIEVES left a trail of blood and destruction when they broke into a major high street store in Weymouth town centre and stole more than £1,000 in cash.

The raiders smashed a window to gain entry to WH Smith in St Thomas Street and are believed to have used crowbars to break open five of the store’s six tills on the ground floor.

The store was open as usual yesterday but there was disruption because so many of the tills were out of use.

There was police tape evident over the entrance door.

Store news assistant Mark Dewey was the first to discover the break-in after being alerted by his manager that the store’s alarm had been triggered.

Mr Dewey, 25, said: “I was walking to work at 6.30am when my boss sent me a text to say the alarm had gone off some time during the night.

“I arrived at work and found that a pane of glass in the door had been smashed completely.

“I immediately ran and got my colleague who lives down the road and we waited outside for the police and crime scene investigators to arrive.

Mr Dewey said the sight of the shop reduced him to tears.

He said: “I was heartbroken and in tears.

“I never, ever cry but just seeing the place like that was just so upsetting.

“I’ve worked here for three years and never known anything like this.”

He added: “The police arrived about 8am.

“The thieves took quite a bit of money – over a grand’s worth and got a crowbar and smashed five of the tills downstairs.

“There was glass everywhere and blood on the tills.

“Upstairs wasn’t touched at all.

“We’ve had a lot of customers asking why only two tills are in use.

“We stacked a load of boxes up against the broken window and we’re going to get that boarded up.”

A WH Smith spokesman confirmed the break in had occurred and that the matter was ‘now in the hands of the police’.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: “We had a phone call at 7.07am on Tuesday to report that cash had been taken from WH Smith in Weymouth.

“It seems that a window on the entrance door had been smashed by the burglars some time between 8pm on Monday and 7am on Tuesday.

“We would appeal for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.”

Anyone with information should call Dorset Police on 01305 222222.