DETECTIVES believe raiders who stole 51 mobile phones at Romsey's Woolworth's store targeted the company's Eastleigh branch the night before.

At least £5,000 worth of goods were removed by the burglars who forced a gate and tampered with a security light at the rear of The Hundred-based premises before getting in through a door. It's believed a crowbar was used to force the door open.

Amongst the missing property are 13 Ericsson brand mobile phones valued at £1,300 and a box of PlayStation 2 games. Bosses closed the store on Saturday morning to allow detectives to search for clues.

A Woolworth spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that our stores in Leigh Road at Eastleigh and The Hundred in Romsey were broken into last week. The stores are working closely with the police to catch the perpetrator or perpetrators and therefore cannot comment further at this stage."

A till was snatched in the Eastleigh branch raid.

Romsey's police chief warned shopkeepers to be on their guard against break-ins in the run-up to Christmas.

Inspector Peter Funnell said: " We have to assume these burglaries are linked. It seems highly likely there is a connection. In the run-up to Christmas all shop owners must take adequate measures to ensure their premises are secure. Any suspicious activity should be reported to the police straight away."