THIEVES smashed their way into a post office to steal cash prompting fears shops are becoming a growing target for criminals.

Councillor Job Harris raised the concerns in the wake of the break-in at the Saltdean branch in Longridge Avenue yesterday and after a man wearing a Santa hat brandished a knife at staff in the Lustrells Vale Co-op when he stole more than £2,000 in December.

Mr Harris, a Telscombe town councillor for east Saltdean and a member of the East Sussex crime stoppers board, said: "This sort of thing is definitely happening more frequently to shops around here. We are quite concerned about this.

"We want to try and find a way to stop this happening. The neighbourhood watch used to be quite successful and we are hoping to get this thing up and running again.

"We haven't got enough police. You don't see PCSOs on the streets around here anymore."

Officers were called at 2.40am this morning after reports of alarm sounding. They found the bottom of the door and the ATM damaged. They believe cash was stolen but cannot yet confirm how much.

Danny Callaghan, 49, manager of King and Chasemore estate agents next door to the post office, said: “The post master came in this morning, he said someone had broken in in the early hours of the morning. He said the place was a mess.”

Steve Foster, 50, music promoter and near neighbour, said: “At 2.45am there was a really loud bang. It didn’t sound like a window smashed, it sounded like an explosion. My dogs went and hid like they do with fireworks. It was very frightening.

“Fifteen minutes later I saw the police arrive outside the post office so I went outside.

“It looked like someone had tried to smash into the cash machine. There was glass on the outside of the door so I surmised that they’d tried to get into the ATM safe with an explosive device.”

One woman, who asked not to be named, said: “I suddenly woke up at around 2am or 2.30am when I heard a loud bang and the sound of a car roaring off. There were lots of police after that."

The entrance to the post office was cordoned off and the branch shut for the day.

Scenes of crime officers remained at the scene from midday to 2pm, residents said.

Any witnesses should call police on 101 or email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting 78 of 28/02.