THIEVES scaled a 12-foot high fence to break into a car dealership and steal a car.

Police are investigating the theft at Parkhills Car Centre in Bury and are appealing for information.

And the dealership has released CCTV footage in a bid to catch the culprits, who stole a Volkswagen Polo. The car was stolen just after 4pm on Wednesday, January 12.

Adam Clayton, used car sales manager, said: “When we reviewed the CCTV footage, we saw that a car had been lingering in the area for about an hour, doing circles around the dealership, and then two got out and climbed over the 12-foot fence.

“One of them tried to get into several vehicles before they managed to get into a Volkswagen Polo and made off with it, nearly causing a crash with another car and then racing off Parkhills Road in the direction of Rochdale Road.

“We didn’t catch this on CCTV, but we believe that one of them must have cut down the fencing once they were inside to make it flimsier so they could crash their way back out again. We are a family-run business and times are hard because of Covid, everyone is struggling and this is the last thing we need.

“There’s a massive cost after incidents like this, the insurance company is not likely to be able to help, plus the customer who has been affected was absolutely heartbroken.

“A young woman was hoping to come in on Saturday and buy it, and it was going to be her first car so she could drive to work in Oldham. When I told her on the phone, she was crestfallen, but these thieves do not appreciate the human cost of their actions.”

Police are investigating and have urged witnesses to contact them with information, quoting log number, CRI/06NN/0000635/22.