THIEVES have broken into a petrol station in Tetbury in the early hours of this morning.

The Tesco filling station on the A433 London Road was broken into at around 3.30am today.

A night manager, who was in the main store at the time, was alerted to the break-in after an alarm sounded.

As he walked across to the forecourt, he saw a white Mercedes Sprinter or Ford Transit van leaving at high speed.

It is believed that after forcing entry to the store, the burglars stole cigarettes from behind the counter. A smoke screen is reported to have been activated by the alarm.

No staff member was inside at the time of the break-in.

The area has been cordoned off by police while investigations are carried out.