BRAZEN burglars who smashed their way into a closed shop and stole the till had struck in a similar raid days before.

The gang of three white thieves struck at the Food And Wine Store at Highgate Lane in Lepton in a stolen car just after 9.45pm on Sunday.

It has now emerged the same gang struck a few miles away in Middles- town, between Grange Moor and Wakefield, last week.

In the early hours of last Thursday morning they raided the Crossroad Off-licence and post office at New Road in Middles- town

The shop owner and his wife were woken by a loud bang at 2.40am as the thieves smashed open the door with large stones.

Even though the couple opened their bedroom window and shouted down, the gang carried on with the raid, forcing their way in to grab the till.

They also took handfuls of cigarettes.

The owner's wife, who asked not to be named, said: "It was definitely the same gang that went on to commit the crime in Lepton.

"It was the same car and it went off towards Huddersfield."

A description of a car was given after the attack at the Food And Wine Store in Lepton on Sunday night. The thieves were last seen heading towards Station Road.

The car, a green Renault Megane with the registration V759 DPY, was stolen in Rawdon near Leeds last Tuesday.