Cafe owner’s business hit by thieves who take away outdoor seating
BENCHES WERE BOLTED DOWN – BUT CROOKS CAME EQUIPPED
THE owner of a bakery and cafe has spoken of her despair after thieves made away with two of her outdoor benches used to seat customers.
Amanda Shetliffe, 53, runs The Bakers Shop cafe off Hermitage Lane in Mansfield and returned to work after the bank holiday to find the picnic benches had been taken.
The seating was being used by customers in line with Government guidance about customers only being able to be served outdoors as part of the current roadmap out of lockdown.
However, they have now lost “12 to 14 seats” from their outdoor area, with the thieves seen on nearby CCTV taking the benches at around 3.30pm on Sunday.
The cafe owner said the incident made her cry due to the effects it will have on her business.
“I know it seems trivial to a lot of people, but it’s had a devastating effect especially with the Covid pandemic,” she said.
“We’ve done everything possible to keep the business alive, to keep people in jobs, and then we just get kicked in the teeth.
“I’m not going to lie it made me cry, because you can only assume it’s somebody who’s been in my cafe, who has sat down and I’ve fed them.
“We’ve got amazing customer service and we’ve gone out of our way, and they’ve probably sat on those benches and thought ‘I’m having these.’
“It made me genuinely cry, I was devastated. They’ve no concept of what it means to us as a little independent business just trying to survive.
“We can only sit people outside at the minute and that’s what our business currently consists of.
“We’ve got no money, the business is on its knees like every business is, but what we have got we’ve put into it to get this shop open and the customers back in.
“And then instantly overnight I’ve lost 12 to 14 seats – we only had 24 to start with.”
Mrs Shetliffe, who runs the business with her husband Mark, says the benches were even bolted into the ground in fear of an incident occurring.
She explained more about her concerns and says that the thieves “knew where to come and when”, even bringing tools along with them.
“We drilled them into the decking so that they were safe, with fear in your mind that someone might pinch them,” she said.
“We’re very secluded, in a very quiet area and it was a Sunday afternoon when the shop was shut.
“These people knew where to come and when to come, we have seen CCTV footage of them doing it and they even knew where to park to avoid number plate recognition.
“They went back to the van, got some tools and unscrewed the bolts. I don’t know how many criminals come prepared with tools but they knew what they were doing.”
The cafe shared news of the incident on social media and has been inundated with support, with staff at the Ling Forest Inn, off Eakring Road, even offering up some spare benches.
And the cafe staff are also analysing nearby CCTV on the industrial estate to try and find registration plates, which will be provided to police for investigation.
Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
Anyone with information has been urged to call the force on 101 quoting incident 138 of May 5, 2021.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
We can only sit people outside at the minute and that’s what our business currently consists of.
Amanda Shetliffe