Employees at a Wollongong cycle store were left sweeping up glass fragments after an attempted break-in on Wednesday night.
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Vandals broke through a secure fence at the back of the store, smashed a rear window and kicked in the rolling door to the bike washing area at Simple Cycles on Market Street.
They did not gain access to the store and nothing was stolen.
Store manager Kate McGuinn estimated it would cost about $2000 to fix the damage.
It was the second incident at the store in the past month, with thieves breaking a front window and stealing two high-end mountain bikes, worth $4000 each, four weeks ago.
Wollongong Police recovered the bikes the next day.
Miss McGuinn said the attempted break-in was frustrating because it meant time out of the shop to deal with the incident rather than assisting customers.
Employees will have to meticulously sweep the shards of glass scattered around the back entrance to ensure no pieces get stuck in bike tyres.
‘‘It’s just an inconvenience because it takes time out of our day. It’s just a bit of a hassle,’’ she said.
‘‘You can’t get angry, these things happen, but it’s just a shame.’’
Senior Constable Steve Probst said the attempted break-in was one of several similar incidents in the Wollongong CBD on Wednesday night, including the theft of tools through a smashed window from a work utility vehicle in a nearby council car park.
Police are investigating all incidents.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.