A “significant amount of stock” has been stolen from an Ilam supermarket by youth offenders overnight.

A police spokesman told Chris Lynch Media at 2.30am on Monday, police were alerted to an alarm activation at a store in Peer Street.

As police arrived [to the New World] approximately five young people ran from the store to a stolen vehicle and fled the scene.

 Police pursued them onto Bowen Street, before abandoning the pursuit as the vehicle continued towards Wairakei Road.

 The offenders smashed through the door by hand to get into the building and left with a significant amount of stock the spokesman said.

 Enquiries were ongoing.