Three more Oxfordshire shops have been hit for thousands of pounds in the continuing spate of raids on stores across the county.

Thames Valley Police last night renewed warnings about security after two newsagents and a service station were raided within three days.

The latest incidents took the number of burglaries, ramraids and robberies across the county this year to 13. Detectives are not linking them at this stage, because they say different levels of "professionalism" were apparent in each crime.

Yesterday (March 13) morning a gang smashed their way into Dillons on Elms Parade in Botley and stole £5,000 worth of cigarettes.

Two men were seen using sledgehammers to smash open the door to the shop at 3am, while a third man kept watch next to a blue new-shape Vauxhall Astra.

Manageress Dawn Sellick said: "They trashed the cigarette shelves and just grabbed as many packets as they could."

The two men loaded the cigarettes into the car boot before driving off at speed towards Cumnor.

All three men were wearing gloves and balaclavas, and the man keeping watch was wearing light blue jeans, a dark jacket and black balaclava.

On Sunday at least three men broke into the Frilford service station in Marcham Road and stole cash and cigarettes worth £4,800. They also stole an undisclosed amount from the garage's cash machine, which can hold up to £50,000, after cutting phone lines to stop any alarms going off.

The gang broke into the building between 1.45am and 5.40am.

Dc John Shaw, of Abingdon CID, said: "This was a planned attack and those responsible have not only stolen from the garage but also caused significant structural damage."

Police spokesman Tim Wiseman added: "It was very professional to say the least."

On Saturday, masked robbers stole thousands of pounds from Balfour News in Cherwell Drive, Marston.

At about 5.30am, a female worker who was opening the shop was approached by two balaclava-clad men, who forced her to open the safe.

Mr Wiseman said: "We reiterate our calls for business people to invest in the best quality security devices like shutters and CCTV cameras -- everything that makes it more difficult to get in or less likely to be a target."

Anyone with information about any of the raids is urged to call 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.