YOBS were caught on CCTV as they smashed their way into a Wickford bistro before trashing the place and stealing a till and a lasagne.

Police were called to a burglary at Mist Cafe Bistro, in High Street, at about 1.25am yesterday morning.

According to Mist Cafe Bistro, the suspects “stole money from the till” as well as bizarrely “stealing a batch of lasagne for some reason.”

“It was basically a float amount they stole from the till, it was fortunately a minimal amount,” the café has said.

Officers found the cash register near the address with money taken from inside.

Police have opened an investigation, and their enquiries are ongoing.

Terrifying CCTV footage released on the cafe’s social media shows two suspects, who have covered their faces, attacking the front of the business with a tool not visible in the videos.

They make repeated attempts to smash down the door to the property before eventually getting in.

Wickford Conservative councillor Don Morris advocated for a harsh penalty for burglars, adding that a harsher deterrent is needed to dissuade people from targeting businesses.

“The way to deal with these people is to give police the powers to deal with them,” he said.

“If they get sent to prison, they get a light sentence.

“I have to say I really think it’s time we started to get to grips with these people and make it clear it is not acceptable and we will do something. People need to be assured about their safety and quite frankly these people never get sent away long enough.”

Mr Morris added that it’s hard for the victims and he hopes that they are insured, and he would “ask them to continue in business because these people will be found by police”.

“If you need a deterrent, let them know they are going to get years behind bars,” Mr Morris said.