TWO people have been charged following a spate of burglaries in which cigarettes worth £10,000 were stolen.

After several break-ins at businesses across Brighton and Hove late last year, a police investigation was launched.

As intruders stole significant amounts of cigarettes, police said the burglaries are likely to be linked, with four unidentified suspects believed to be involved.

At 4am on December 23, police received reports of an ongoing break-in at a Post Office in Mill Lane, Portslade.

CCTV footage showed four people breaking into the store, before leaving with cigarettes worth £10,000, cash from the till, a charity tin and alcohol.

Stolen items were subsequently found in a van which was discovered in Downsland Crescent, Hove.

The vehicle’s occupants Emily Cooper, 32, and Reuben Thompson, 27, were arrested and charged with six counts of burglary and two counts of attempted burglary.

Thompson, of George Williams Mews, Portslade, was also charged with criminal damage, using threatening/abusive words and possession of cannabis.

Cooper, of no fixed abode, and Thompson were remanded in custody pending a later court date.

Detective Inspector Simon Morgan said: “While we are pleased to have two suspects in custody in relation to these offences, the investigation is still very much ongoing to track down the other perpetrators.

“We are appealing to the public for any information which could help identify them.

“The break-ins are predominantly understood to have taken place in Brighton and Hove, but have also been reported in East Sussex and as far west as Chichester.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact police online or by calling 101, quoting Operation Burrow.