Metal thieves stole �200-worth of piping from a Harold Hill supermarket – causing more than �20,000-worth of damage to stock.

Bandits ripped lengths of cooper ducts from the roof of Co-op supermarket in Farnham Road, at around 3am on Monday May 2.

Hundreds of items of chilled and frozen food had to be destroyed as a result.

A spokesman for the Co-operative Group said: “When copper piping was stolen some of the store’s electrical cabling was also damaged.

“Due to the damaged cables, we could not guarantee that the electrical supply to the chilled and freezer cabinets had been maintained; and so as a precaution, products in these cabinets were removed from sale and destroyed.

“A new delivery of chilled and frozen products was received and the store is now operating as usual.”

It is believed the crooks had clambered onto a flat roof to reach their booty.

The store’s security team attended and secured the building before police arrived, but the thieves had already fled.

It thought the store’s CCTV was not in operation during the theft.

A Havering Police spokesman said: “There was significant damage caused by this theft. A forensics team attended and door-to-door enquires took place soon after but no arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.”

A source added: “The price of metal is going up and up, this is particularly hard crime to stop because the metal being stolen is not marked and cannot be traced once melted down.”

Anyone with information should contact Romford police station on: 0300 123 1212