Thousands of pounds in staff wages were stolen when burglars smashed their way into a family-run fish and chip shop in Stoke Newington.

It has set Sutton and Sons back months after the owner had to meet the cost from his own pocket.

Two men seen on CCTV also caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage to the shop in Stoke Newington High Street when they used crow bars to get inside in the early hours of September 3.

Two further restaurants around the corner in Church Street – Il Bacio Express and Trattoria Da Luigi – were also targeted in similar attacks last week. It is not known whether the same men are responsible.

Owner Danny Sutton, the son of a Ridley Road trader, told the Gazette: “We don’t usually leave cash on the premises. It was only because I was away on holiday.

“I had to repay the wages out of my own pocket and it’s not insured. It’s going to take us a while to recover.”

Mr Sutton, who started out as a fishmonger 18 years ago before branching into fish and chip shops with his wife Hana in 2006, said the incident had upset his staff and disrupted his business.

“They are attacking small independent businesses,” he said. “It was out of order.”

Co-owner of Il Bacio Express, Itka Slezakova, said two men can be seen searching for money around the till on the CCTV footage from September 5: “You could see they were looking under the till, behind the till, and around the phones. Most people pay by card so there wasn’t any money.”

Police have yet to make any arrests.