Thieves have stolen 50 trumpets from a Limburg-based music store in the fifth break-in in nine months.

Masked intruders used a sledgehammer to break into Adams Music Centre’s store in Lummen, just across the border in Belgium, at 2am on Friday. The company’s head office is in Ittervoort, on the Dutch side of the border near Weert.

Shop manager Frans Swinkels said he were perplexed as to why the thieves had targeted the brass instruments. “They weren’t the cheapest models, but they’re not that exclusive either,” he told L1 Nieuws.

“I could understand it if it was different instruments, but these aren’t Stradivarius violins or anything like that. These trumpets were just made in a factory.”

Two months ago 40 trumpets were stolen from the same store, suggesting that the instruments had been stolen to order. Adams Music Centre installed extra security measures following the previous break-in, but the thieves were undeterred.

“We have passed the serial numbers on to various music shops,” said Swinkels. “If these trumpets are offered for sale, we and the police will be notified.”