CALLOUS criminals have left the owners of three Meirionnydd businesses devastated, after stealing tens of thousands of pounds worth of vehicles, equipment and essential tools.

Overnight on Saturday, a crime spree took place across the region, which saw three businesses looted in quick succession.

The Honda Garage in Talsarnau, Snowdonia Cycles in Llanbedr and Clogau Motors in Bontddu were all targeted and all lost a significant amount of stock and equipment.

DJ Fruits, a grocery wholesaler in Porthmadog, also had a door forced open and a quantity of cash stolen from the premises.

The burglaries which the police are treating as “linked”, have shocked and dismayed the business owners.

A distraught Steve Bland, proprietor of Snowdonia Cycles, said: “They came in through the front door and stole all of my display bikes - at least eight of them.

“They also took waterproof clothing, camping equipment, bike gadgets, cash. Every time I walk back in the store I see something else has been stolen.

Gwion Lockett, salesperson at the Talsarnau Honda Garage, was similarly disgusted.

He said: “The thieves broke into our showroom and stole one of our Honda Civics and a red Honda 125 motorcycle.

“They also made off with a large amount of Honda branded clothing and merchandise and Nike golf accessories and equipment.

The timing of the crime wave was particularly unfortunate for Clogau Motors’ director Jonathan Davies, who lost a number of essential mechanic’s tools as well as a number plate manufacturing machine.

“This week marks 15 years since we opened here, we’ve never had anything like it before,” an angry Jonathan told the Cambrian News.

“We couldn’t open this week, the mechanics have got nothing to work with.

See the full story in this week’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News