Smoke gets in the eyes of bungling East Ham burglar

A bungling burglar was foiled when the store he raided filled with smoke pumped out by a security system.

The hooded crook smashed the window of East Ham’s Tesco Express store with a concrete block at around 1am this morning.

He then began loading bottles of spirits into a bag, but was forced to stop when the Pilgrims Way store’s anti-theft system began filling the building with smoke.

Detectives say the smoke, which also triggered a fire alarm, would have been impossible for the suspect to see anything.

Police and fire crews were called and he fled the scene empty-handed.

Officers are now hunting the man, who was white, 5ft 7in tall and wearing a black hooded top.

Anyone with information should call Newham’s Burglary Squad on 020 8217 5009 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.