RAIDERS ransacked a cycle shop and made off with cycles and equipment worth more than £20,000.

Burglars broke into the Bike Centre, North Baddesley, taking 20 bicycles and petty cash, leaving the owners devastated.

Co-owner Chris Bailey discovered the break-in when he arrived to open the shop at 8.30am on Tuesday.

The showroom was left almost empty and the floor strewn with debris. A back room had been searched so thoroughly that coffee tins had been left with their lids pulled off.

The business is owned by Mr Bailey and Tony Edwards.

Mr Bailey said: “I’m totally gutted. We are absolutely devastated because we have worked hard for two years to build this up from nothing and get it going.”

The owners believe that the shop must have been especially targeted by the thieves.

Valuable electric bikes and chargers were taken, while less valuable children’s gear was left behind.

The business opened in the current premises in October 2013 after trading for a year from a warehouse.

Mr Bailey and Mr Edwards have been friends and bike enthusiasts since childhood and decided to team up and go into business.

Items stolen include bikes made by FreeGo and Juicy.

The owners urge anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in the area, or who is offered a bike, to contact police.

PC Claire Browne said: “It’s a high-value burglary and could have happened at any point from Saturday at 5pm to 8.30am on Tuesday morning.

“We will be doing research in respect of the stolen items and carrying out inquiries to see whether anybody heard anything.”

Contact Romsey police by calling 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.