Traders have been left “devastated” after thieves ram-raided their shop.

A car crashed through the shop front of My Little Boutique, in Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, last Friday at 9.23pm.

Hertfordshire Police said that two white men in their late 20s and early 30s got out of a dark-coloured hatchback car and grabbed piles of clothes before driving off towards Mutton Lane.

Shattered glass was strewn across the pavement and inside the shop, which has been left boarded up.

Antonia Charalambous, who co-owns the children’s clothes shop, said: “We are devastated, and shocked. I cannot believe something like this would happen in Potters Bar.”

Mrs Charalambous, 45, who lives in Welwyn Green, said a lot of stock had been taken during the raid, and that the remaining clothes had to be destroyed for safety reasons.

She added: “The whole remaining stock has been contaminated from the glass. We had to get rid of all of it, we cannot take the risk. Now we are left with a bare shop with nothing in it.

“We will have to go out and buy new stock and sort the shop front. There’s always the fear it could happen again, but we want to get back and serve our customers. We have them to think of.”

Officers are investigating the burglary, and are appealing for witnesses.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101.