IT IS, as police have said, a scene which wouldn’t look out of place in the film The Italian Job.

Thieves have been captured on CCTV driving through a shopping centre.

Northumbria Police uploaded the video to its Facebook page.

"Officers are appealing for the public’s help after a large quantity of stock was stolen from a shop in the Forum Shopping Centre in Wallsend," they say.

"On Tuesday, January 29 at about 4.10am, police received a report an alarm had been activated at the O2 shop inside the shopping centre.

"Officers attended the scene and discovered both the shopping centre and shop had been broken into and that items including phones and other technical devices had been taken.

"Further enquiries were carried out and CCTV revealed a black car had been used to break through the shopping centre doors."

The offenders then drove up to the O2 shop before breaking in to take the items and fleeing the scene in the same car.

PC David Hudson, from Northumbria Police, said: “The significant damage to the shopping centre and the burglary has caused substantial financial loss for the businesses involved.

“An investigation has been launched and I urge anyone with information or who may have been in the area at the time and witnessed something, to get in touch.”

  • Anyone with any information should contact police via 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 and quote reference number 97 29/01/19.