A BURGLAR targeted three stores after breaking into the Sovereign Centre at the weekend.

Three areas of the Boscombe shopping centre were cordoned off by police on Saturday morning following the overnight incident.

Glass doors at the entrance of the centre, next to The Garden Café, were cracked and the glass door of The Garden Café had been shattered.

The cafe’s owner, Debra Clark, said she was called by the centre’s security team at around 6am, who informed her of the break-in.

She found £100 had been taken and what appeared to be blood behind the counter on the floor.

“There is blood here and there is more leading up to the gate outside, which it looks like someone has tried to climb over,” she added.

“This has meant us losing a whole morning of business.”

The shop was closed until midday so staff could clear up the shattered glass.

BB’s Coffee and Muffins and Entertainment Exchange were the other stores targeted.

Entertainment Exchange store supervisor Suzi Kagi said: “I didn’t realise anything had happened until I got in at 8.30am. Nothing has been taken.”

Police and forensic officers remained at the scene until the afternoon and taped off an area near The Garden Café, Entertainment Exchange and a small area near another cracked window at the car park entrance.

Sovereign Centre manager Peter Ruscoe confirmed that an intruder had gained access to the premises early on Saturday morning.

He added that a man had been detained.

“I have worked at a number of other shopping centres and from time to time there are people that try to break into premises.

“We have 24-hour CCTV. We are pretty confident that our security worked well.”

A Dorset Police spokesperson said it was a commercial burglary at the Sovereign Centre and that officers were continuing their investigations.