Timber firm hit by £7,000 tool theft
BIANCA MURRAY
THE owner of a timber business which was raided by heartless thieves has vowed to bounce back.
James Stroud, who owns Rossendale Bespoke Timber, had more than £7,000 worth of power tools stolen from his business premises on Blackburn Road in Haslingden.
Police believe that the incident happened between 6.45pm on July 25 and 8.30am on July 26.
James, who has been in the trade for 18 years amd started the business three years ago, said the burglary was a massive shock.
He said: “I came in to open up at 8.30am as usual and I noticed the front gates were open and the door was open. I went inside and the place had just been ransacked.
“I started this business with an empty room and an empty table, and now I’ve got a workshop and three staff. ●● Owner James Stroud
“It’s been a massive inconvenience and it’s stopping us from doing our work.”
James added the police believed the break-in was the work of professionals.
He said: “I’ve got big iron gates, bars on all the windows, there’s not much more I can do to protect my business.
“The people who have done this are hurting their own communities. I’ve got three people and three families dependent on this business, I built it up through sheer grit and hard work.
“We export all over Europe and business is booming thankfully, oth- Microblading is the most up to date technique for creating perfect hair like strokes, giving you back your eyebrows. If you find yourself penciling them in every day or trying to create a fuller look then Microblading is ideal for you. Angela has over 20 years experience in Semi Permanent Make Up and was trained by a world leader erwise this could have sent us under.”
James said that not only did the tools have monetary value, but some had sentimental value as well.
He said: “I had a biscuit jointer that was given to me by an amazing craftsman, and I will never be able to replace that and what it meant to me.
“I have ordered replacements and I’m going through the insurance company but for now we’re working with basic hand tools.”
Police believe the offenders approached a locked, secured rear yard and climbed on to a blue wheelie bin to gain access over the fence.
They then smashed a window and a metal grid to gain entrance to the premises and stole more than £7,000 worth of equipment.
Items stolen included a cordless drill, saw, jigsaw, sander, grinder, a chainsaw and a nail gun.
Contact police on 101 quoting crime reference EF1607655. Rebecca Chung in the art of Microblading. She is one of the first in the North West to offer this treatment and has an abundance of happy clients. For further information, before and after pictures and also a video demonstration please visit the website www.akbrows.co.uk. QUOTE - NEWSPAPER FOR 20% OFF ●● Gary Davenport was jailed for 29 months after pleading guilty to burglary A MAN who burgled a friend’s flat for two mobile phones while ‘roaring drunk’ has been jailed for 29 months.
Prolific burglar Gary Davenport, 33, was caught breaking into a ground floor flat on West View in Haslingden.
Burnley Crown Court heard how the property was being decorated by AK Brows, Angela Kays Beauty Salon, 46 Warner St, Accrington, BB5 1HN facebook.com/akbrows | www.akbrows.com | 07813 195 888 occupant Lee Pickup and his brother Craig Riley and they had left the windows open ‘to assist in the drying out of the wallpaper and the plaster’.
Stephen Parker, prosecuting, told the court how Davenport broke in at around 10.50pm on June 18 this year and was seen by Mr Riley who shouted ‘what are you doing?’
The court heard how Davenport, who has seven previous convictions for house burglary, stole two mobile phones from a shelf and table before fleeing through the window.
Mr Parker said: “Mr Pickup followed him to an address where he thought he was likely to be.
“He was correct in that assumption. Police attended and the defendant was found hiding in the attic. Both witnesses knew the defendant. He had previously been a fairly regular visitor to the flat.
“Craig Riley wasn’t very happy with him coming over there and thought he was taking advantage of his brother, so had warned him previously not to come round any more. Clearly he didn’t heed that advice.”
Davenport, of Claremont Road, Accrington, pleaded guilty to burglary and was jailed for 29 months.
Vincent Deane, defending, told the court: “The defendant is under no illusion of the position he finds himself in. My main point of mitigation is he entered his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity.
“He certainly knew the people in the flat.
“He was roaring drunk at the time of the burglary. He got in the flat initially as a piece of buffoonery and saw the phones and took them and returned home. He appreciates it was a stupid thing to do.
“He was brought up by his grandparents and they have got to the stage where they are at the end of their tether with him. There is, in a very gloomy and grim picture, some grounds for hope. During his time in custody he has taken advantage of being referred for his alcoholism.”
Sentencing Judge Beverley Lunt said: “This was a mean offence. The people knew you and you knew them. They saw exactly what you did and your capture was inevitable. It’s your record that’s your problem.” ●● Jon Kershaw and companion Riley