BRAZEN burglars barricaded nearby flats to ensure they were not disturbed while they spent hours smashing their way into a Keighley shop.

Furious bosses of games and electrical goods store PlayFX, in Hanover Street, suspect the criminals exploited a family bereavement and deliberately targeted the shop at a time when they knew its owners would be distracted.

Store manager, Nick Hall, said the grandmother of the shop's owner, Shazaib Hassan, had recently died, which meant the premises were closed for a few days.

He revealed the burglars, who got into the shop shortly after 2.30am on February 2, were on the scene outside from about midnight, and included three lookouts as well as the two who forced their way in.

The masked and hooded raiders used pallets stolen from outside another nearby business to block the exit of flats immediately behind PlayFX to stop anyone disturbing them while they broke in.

Mr Hall, who lives in Long Lee, said the value of the goods stolen and the damage done to the back of the building approached £10,000.

"We're just a small, local business working hard to make a living and little scumbags like this who can't be bothered to work make their money by doing this," he added.

"It just drives me up the wall. It's not like we're some multi-million pound corporation."

Once they had got in through the back of the shop, the burglars spent only 35 seconds inside, sweeping 50 smart phones into a white bucket then leaving.

Mr Hall said nothing else in the shop was touched, suggesting the raiders knew exactly what they wanted from the start.

"It's not just the break-in, it's the fact they endangered the lives of people living in the flats behind us," he said. "What if there had been a fire and people needed to get out?

"Local businesses here have been very supportive of us since the burglary, which we really appreciate.

"We've now completely blocked up the back of our shop, so there's no way in there anymore, and we've passed CCTV footage onto the police."

The owners of PlayFX are offering a cash reward to anyone who can supply police with information on the burglary leading to conviction.

They also say people should inform the police about anyone trying to informally sell suspiciously large numbers of iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c or Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smart phones.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman appealed for witnesses to get in touch with officers on the 101 number, quoting reference 13160047184.

She added two people had entered the shop early last Tuesday morning. "During the burglary, mobile phones were stolen," she said. "The two then made off down a snicket and onto a retail park off Cavendish Street."

PC Alan Askew said: "I would urge anyone who saw this incident, or who is offered a mobile phone for sale in a deal that sounds ‘too good to be true’, to get in contact."