Two estate agents were targeted in break-ins just 18 minutes apart.
The front door of Robinsons Estate Agents in Dunstable, Beds,was smashed at around 12.50am on Sunday (4 October), with CCTV capturing a person entering the premises before leaving with a laptop.
The incident triggered the alarm, while a second raid took place at Deakin White at 1.08am.
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The front door was also smashed at the second premises, setting off the alarm.
A spokesperson for Deakin White said nothing valuable was kept in the office, with only a vape refill and some paracetamol taken, as reported by Need To Know
They said: “We’re a family-run business and have been here since 2004, and this is the first time we’ve ever experienced anything like this.
“We also want to reassure our clients that their house keys remain completely secure.
“They are held within a dedicated, secure key management system, individually registered and not labelled with property addresses.
“They are not left accessible within the office, so there is no concern about keys being taken and linked to our clients’ homes.”
A spokesperson for Robinsons said its clients’ keys were also protected by a secure system.
They said: “Our clients’ keys are held through a secure, tracked key management system.
“Each key is individually logged and access is controlled, with movements recorded, so we always know who has collected a key and when.
“It’s a very secure system and specifically designed for managing property keys.
“We really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to check in and show their support… it genuinely means a lot to us.”
Bedfordshire Police said it was treating the two break-ins as linked to a similar raid at the TUI store in White Lion Retail Park, which happened around the same time.
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