Safe blowers armed with gelignite raided the central offices and three department stores of the Burton Latimer Co-operative Provident and Industrial Society Ltd. during the weekend.

They got away with a large amount of cash and goods.

Kettering C.I..D. officers under the direction of Det. Insp. Ron Smith were making inquiries today.  They are taking the line that the raid was at first concentrated on the central offices of the society where a strong-room and a safe were blown open.

From here the intruders obtained the keys to the doors and safes of the society’s butchery, drapery and furnishing departments.

The raid was made between noon on Saturday when the stores were closed for the weekend and about 7 a.m. on Sunday when an employee of the Society discovered the theft.

In the central offices carpets had been torn from the floor and with cushions and clothing had been packed around the strong room door and similarly around the safe to deaden the noise of the blast.

In the other three departments which were entered, safes were opened with keys obtained from the strong room, and cash and valuable goods were stolen.

Mr. B. Waller , Managing Secretary of the Society told the Chronicle and Echo today:  “it is not yet possible to say exactly how much money is missing or what property was stolen”.

Chief of Police at Kettering, Supt. H. J. Lee, said today: “We are bearing in mind recent similar incidents at Rushden and Irthlingborough in our inquiries.”