AN “extremely skinny and very annoying” burglar, according to a business owner, broke into a Cirencester building through a tiny toilet window.

Electrical contractors Williams and Ford in Querns Lane, Cirencester was targeted overnight last Sunday into Monday.

Richard Dickinson, partner at Williams and Ford, said the incident happened at about 12.30am when the offender smashed a 17x10 inch window and entered the property through it. They made off, through the tiny window again, with some items including a charity box and a smartphone.

He said: “It was either a child or an adult, because they would have to be blooming skinny. I’m not that fat and I couldn’t get through it."

Richard however only discovered the aftermath of the crime the following morning at about 8.45am when he reported it to police.

He said: “There was broken glass on the floor when I came in and stuff scattered around, the usual mess idiots like that make.

“They tried to open the external doors. The toilet window was locked shut and they smashed a hole in it. They also covered the CCTV camera with a packet of toilet rolls.

“They stole a red Samsung smartphone. It was probably an opportunist, they stole a lot of batteries and very small items worth about £400.

“And they had the contents of the charity box for the air ambulance, which is the lowest trick you can pull, which tells you what kind of people they are, they don’t care.

"Luckily they couldn’t find the keys to the main doors and were only able to take small items through the window.

“It pisses me off and costs me a few hundred quid. But you just crack on. When you’re running a business, you just think: why do you bother?”

He however praised police for their response: “Gloucestershire Police were really really good. The beat officer was here within an hour and forensics were here within an hour and a half. It was a really positive experience.”

Contrary of Richard’s account of items stolen however, police said that nothing of particular value was stored in the premises and that all that was taken was a box of sweets.

Police enquiries are continuing and if anyone has information, call 101 quoting incident 58 of January 15.