Staffordshire police are investigating a burglary at a West Midlands travel agency during which £8,000 was stolen from a safe.
David Walters, owner of The Travel Bureau on High Street, Wombourne, said it appeared that the burglars had been well equipped, using a power cutter to access the heavy, concrete-lined safe.
Police officers were called to a report of a burglary at the agency shortly after 7.30am on January 21, after staff in the office next door saw that the fire door was open.
Walters estimated the raid must have been about 3.16am as the power cables to the computers were taken out around that time.
“It is the first time something like this has happened here,” said Walters, who set up the agency in 1984.
“The safe weighs a ton and was bolted to the floor and wall – and it was concrete lined.”
He said the raiders created a huge mess, tipping tea and sugar over the floor, opening all the drawers and throwing bleach and washing up liquid around to remove traces of DNA.
The thieves also took a vacuum cleaner but left the computer screens.
Walters and his 10 members of staff helped to clean up on Tuesday, aided by builders from the business next door.
“It looked like a scene from Afghanistan after a drone attack,” he said.
“It is so frustrating and a pain, but what can you do? You have to deal with it.”