VIDEO: Bungling thief almost traps himself in after Mexborough ram-raid

The man, who is being hunted by police, targeted The Majeed Brothers’ convenience store on Adwick Road, Mexborough.

Owner Mohammed Najib (62) said it was the second attack in six months after a staff member was held up at gunpoint last year.

The ram-raid on the corner shop happened at around 3.20am and footage from the shop’s outside security camera shows a white Ford Connect van being reversed twice into the shutters of Mohammed's shop.

The impact destroyed the shop frontage, ripping the shop door off its hinges and sending bottles of alcohol flying off the shelves last Thursday.

The film shows windows shattering at the two impacts before the raider crawls in under the broken shutters.

Mohammed’s son Arfan (38) said the man seemed unprepared as he scrambled around in the dark, feeling his way and appearing to use a cigarette lighter to search for the cigarette unit.

“He’s not even got a torch,” said Arfan. “He just flickers some light on and uses his hands to search around. It’s obvious he’s been in the shop before though as he knows where he is going.”

As the robber tries to break into the cigarette unit, it falls onto him, forcing him to drop it. It causes the shop door back into place.

Arfan said: “That seems to panic him as it looks like he’s locked himself in. He then searches for a way out and leaves empty-handed.”

Although the bungled burglary was “comical”, Arfan said, it was still very upsetting for the family and the three-minute raid had caused around £9,000 worth of damage.

The shop was closed for a day-and-a-half after the raid but the family said shoppers had been very supportive.

If you have information about the ram-raid, call 101, quoting incident 68 of January 5, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.