Yobs were caught on CCTV after they broke into a pub via a toilet window before taking nearly £9,000.

The Victoria Inn, in Belvedere Road, Burnham, was targeted by the gang of crooks earlier this month.

The pub’s owners were left devastated after the burglars ransacked the site, finding keys to a safe and stealing the contents.

CCTV footage from the pub shows the group, all of whom were wearing gloves and masks, entering the building and conducting a search with flashlights on the ground floor.

One of the men managed to find the hidden set of keys to unlock the pub’s safe and take all its contents, estimated to be between £8,000 and £9,000.

Two watches worth thousands of pounds were also stolen.

The town centre pub has now released the CCTV images in an attempt to bring the culprits to justice.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Pub boss Toni Edwards said: “The gang targeted us on October 5, they were in and out quickly and no-one heard them.

“One came in the men’s toilet window, and let the other one through the back door.

“They searched for the safe keys which were hidden. Unfortunately they found them and took all the cash from the safe.

“We had to ask customers to use exact change the day after due to having no cash on the premises.”

The raid at the Victoria Inn was followed a week later by a spate of similar burglaries, with the Rose Inn, Southminster Butchers and the Three Horseshoes in Althorne being targeted.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We were called about a burglary which took place at the Victoria Inn in Belvedere Road, Burnham-on-Crouch at some time between 1am and 6.30am on October 5.

“A four-figure sum of cash and two watches worth a total of a four-figure sum were taken.”

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/144193/18 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Alternatively you can fill out the charity’s online form at crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously.