POLICE say a burglary at a Colac rural business had different characteristics from a spate of thefts in the past month.

Thieves broke into the Colac branch of HICO, a herd improvement company, and stole a camera and a phone.

Detective Stuart Sims of Colac Criminal Investigation Unit said offenders tried more than one entry point to the Clark Street business before opening and squeezing through a 30-by-30-centimetre window.

“They’ve pulled fly screens off two front windows then tried to open one and cracked it,” Det Sims said.

“Then they jumped over a fence and crawled through a toilet window,” he said.

Det Sims said the thieves also searched a cash tin but “there is no cash ever left on the premises”.

He said the burglary happened between Saturday night, when a security guard checked the business, and Sunday night when the guard found the burglary.

Det Sims said a Warrnambool crime desk team examined the scene and said the burglary appeared different to a theft spree on Colac health services which featured forced entry with a jemmy bar and ransacked offices.

Meanwhile, Det Sims said would-be thieves have tried to break into the Johnstone’s Lane entrance of a Murray Street business.

He said offenders had used a jemmy bar to attack a lock on the back door of what was formerly the Country Food Store.

Det Sims said the offenders failed to get into the shop, which new owners took over on Monday.

He said the attempted burglary could have happened any time last week.

Det Sims encouraged Colac business owners to continue to be vigilant.

He also appealed for anyone with information about the Clark Street theft and Johnstone Lane attempted burglary to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.