THIS is hero dog Tilly – the plucky pet who saw off raiders trying to smash their way into a remote village post office.
Tilly, a six-year-old lhasa apso, raised the alarm when a gang that police believe are responsible for a series of burglaries struck.
The raiders were attempting to break into the post office and general store in Llandegla, near Wrexham.
Postmistress Norma Weston said: “Tilly is normally very placid but when she’s in the house she’s a real guard dog.
“We live above the shop and in the early hours of the morning she must have heard someone trying to get in through the back door.
“She just started barking like mad.
“That was obviously enough to make them stop.”
Norma, who has had Tilly since she was a puppy, said she had experienced nothing similar in her 14 years at the store.
She added: “Tilly is the real hero here – without her who knows what might have happened.
“She might usually be laid back but she just won’t let strangers in through the back door.
“As a treat for what she did we gave her a special breakfast of a nice piece of ham from the shop.”
Across Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire a total of seven commercial properties were targeted by the burglars.
Offenders gained entry by forcing doors and windows.
Another burglary is understood to have been at the nearby Crown Hotel in Llandegla.
Also hit was the Griffin at Llanbedr where staff member Adrian Kindred said: “We didn’t realise until the next morning that anything had happened.
“They broke in through the back window, despite the tight security we have here.
“They took some change that was near the bar, which must have been just less than £100.
“They also tried to break into the games machine but failed.”
An unidentified hotel in Rossett was also burgled.
Inspector Gary Kelly, of North Wales Police, said: “We believe the incidents are linked. Cash, spirits and portable items have been stolen the offenders are believed to have used a small, silver, vehicle.”
Police are now visiting rural businesses to advise on security.
Anyone with information call police on 101 in Wales or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
On October 31, the Beeches pub on Chester Road, Gresford was burgled by four men believed to have been wearing masks who fled after taking a substantial amount of cash.