THIEVES stole around £4,000 during a break in at a Portland pub.

And power tools worth more than £1,000 were taken in a separate burglary on the island.

The pub burglary occurred some time between 1am and 6am on Sunday June 8 at the Cove House Inn on Chiswell.

Offenders gained entry through an insecure first floor window. They searched the office and stole a small brown coloured safe which contained a large amount of cash. More cash was stolen from the till tray that was left on a chair in the office. It is believed the amount of cash stolen was over £4,000.

A second burglary occurred some time between 5pm on Saturday June 7 and 7.15am on Monday June 9 at Travis Perkins on Southwell Business Park.

Offenders forced entry by smashing a window and stole power tools worth over a £1,000. The stolen items include a Makita circular saw, a Makita li-ion drill, a Bosch drill and two Dewalt drills.

Police Sergeant Neil Wood, of Weymouth and Portland police, said: “It is unusual for a small community like Portland to suffer two crimes like these in one week. If anyone has any information that can assist the police, I urge them to come forward as soon as possible.

“I am also keen to hear from anyone who may have been offered power tools at unusually low prices. Some may have identifiable markings or numbers engraved on them – if you have any concerns please contact the police on 101.

“I would also like to stress to business owners the importance of taking precautions to protect their property. Where possible hide safes – or fix them to a wall or floor – and empty them regularly.

“Full crime prevention advice can be found on our website http://CrimePrevention.dorset.police.uk.”