A GANG of burglars broke into a newly opened arcade and stole a cash machine in an early-morning raid.

The crooks smashed a window of Kingsway Amusement Arcade and Diner, in Kingsway, Dovercourt, at 1am on Monday and got away with a portable ATM.

The device contained just £100 in cash and owner Mike Gibbons said he was furious the burglars had targeted his business, which only opened last month.

He said: “We were really upset.

“We were alerted by a next-door neighbour we had been broken into and we were distraught.

“We have put all of this investment into the town to try to start a good business and want the town to do well, and this is howwe are repaid.

“In some ways we are relieved that they didn’t vandalise anything else.

“We are very grateful to the neighbour who called it in and would like to say thank you to them.”

Mr Gibbons added he thought business owners and residents should come together to prevent further raids.

He said: “Perhaps it is time the town got together and organised its own policing and formed some kind of committee.

“Anyone interested in this should contact me via the arcade.”

Police have confirmed they are studying CCTV and pursuing several lines of inquiry.

Anyone with further information should call police on 101.