Margaret Rooney said her grandchildren are so scared after a burglary that they do not want to visit her ice cream shop 'until the bad men are caught'.
Mrs Rooney, who runs Mary's Ice Cream Parlour, in Crook, was devastated when she went to open up on Saturday morning and discovered the back door to the premises had been kicked in and was lying on the floor of the kitchen.
She said: “The windows had been tried, they had been upstairs, looking for a safe they took the money from the till which wasn’t much.
“The saddest thing is that my grandchildren are afraid of coming to the shop now because of the ‘bad men’ who could be hiding inside."
Police in Crook have appealed for witnesses or anyone with CCTV footage that may help with enquiries regarding the burglary.
The incident is believed to have happened at around 4.30am on Saturday, August 1.
She added: "We have always felt more like a community than a shop, its not a business that is earning a lot.
"I would like a stern word with them and to ask them why?”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Durham Police by calling 101, quoting reference CRI00282891.
Alternatively, they can contact Crimestoppers on 0800-555111.
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