HORRIFIED staff arrived to find their workplace spattered in blood after it was raided by burglars.

The intruders smashed a store-room window at Zoom the Loom in St Mary Street, Weymouth, but fled after a self-locking door trapped them in the building, forcing them to smash the door glass and injuring one of the raiders.

Manager Lynn Scott said: "There was blood and broken glass all through the shop.

"They tried to steal the Joseph Weld charity box but it had just been emptied so they threw that in a box upstairs, and my cardigan was missing - obviously they used it to wrap up their hands or whatever was bleeding badly.

"Basically, they didn't get anything - we don't leave any money in here at night.

"But they took the blue radio link and now they can listen to everything that's going on."

The radio link system joins most of the town centre stores to the police, and is also used by pubs in the evening.

It would have enabled the intruders to overhear when staff reported the break-in using the shop next door's radio and is expected to last for a couple of days until the batteries run out.

The burglary happened just after 3am on Wednesday when thieves climbed the scaffolding that is being set up for the building to be painted and broke a side window in St Alban Street.

Alarms were set off at 3.20am and police are now checking the town centre's CCTV.

Mrs Scott said: "What's the point in having an alarm if nobody answers it? Nobody called me at all."

Staff made the discovery yesterday morning when they opened up the soft furnishings store.

Shop assistants Eileen Allen and Sarah Ellis were the first to enter the building and noticed pets' fleeces scattered on the floor.

Miss Ellis said: "We saw things scattered on the floor and jokingly said to the window cleaner "Don't go, we might need you".

"We went upstairs chatting and it was only when we got to the top that we saw the blood and broken glass and got out as quick as we could."

She added: "The police were here within five to 10 minutes and were very good.

"Forensics came half an hour later and said the thieves knew what they were doing and only left a few prints."

After raiding the storeroom the intruders bent the timber- framed door of the manager's office - which remained padlocked - to get to the safe, but were unable to open it and that is when they took the cardigan.

Mrs Scott said: "The police said that now they've got the blood they've got the DNA and hopefully will catch them.

"But it's just the mess and the money it costs to fix everything, it's senseless.

"It's just been a very bad day."

Zoom the Loom has now installed 24-hour CCTV in the store room and heightened its security system.

Weymouth PC Simon Austin said: "It's not clear at the moment what's been stolen from the store but those responsible have made a search of the office area.

"Crime scene investigators have been at the store and I need help from the public to find who is responsible.

"I'm appealing for anyone who witnessed any persons or group on the scaffolding at the side of the store and anyone who may have heard a disturbance to contact Dorset Police in confidence."

Anyone with information should call 01305 222222.