CRIMEWAVE STRIKES CITY
RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND OTHER BUSINESSES TARGETED ALMOST DAILY IN SPATE OF BURGLARIES ACROSS CARDIFF
ONE or two groups are believed to be behind a spate of break-ins at restaurants, cafes and commercial premises across Cardiff.
Police have made several arrests but the burglaries are understood to have continued at a rate of about one a day in October and November.
Well-known restaurants and businesses have been broken into in recent months and spoke out about the impact of being burgled, from losing income to the mental impact of their premises being targeted.
Some of the business owners have called on South Wales Police to do more.
In recent months some of the businesses broken into include The Bridge Studios, Western Avenue; Printhaus, Llandaff Road; Dusty Knuckle, Llandaff Road; Viva Organic, Pontcanna Street; Coffi Co, Cardiff Bay; Heaney’s, Romily Crescent; Bully’s, Romily Crescent; La Cuina, King’s Road; The Smoke House, Pontcanna Street; Rock and Malt, Wyndham Crescent; Giovanni’s, Park Place; and Bloc Coffee, Cowbridge Road East.
Police said yesterday that no arrests have been made in connection with the incidents listed above except for in connection with the break-ins at Giovanni’s and The Bridge Studios, a group of creative workspaces.
Officers said there had been six arrests in total in relation to commercial burglaries in recent months and said they have have launched an operation to tackle the problem.
Popular pizza venue Dusty Knuckle said it has been targeted three times since opening two years ago.
Dusty Knuckle co-owner Phil Lewis said: “Our last one was around two months ago.
“They only want the cash. Last time they got about 47p, and the other times they got around £300 and £40.
“We have been fortunate that we have not lost much [and] they have not touched anything.
“It’s just the inconvenience of it all. Everytime there’s a smashed window or back door it’s the cost of putting it right and everyone gets very concerned.”
He added: “It’s just a huge ripple effect. We are a small business and winter is hard enough.”
Phil said after each incident police have been “very responsive” and sent officers to the venue, but called on the force to do more.
He said: “It feels like there should be some enhanced patrols, maybe more [officers] around.
“I don’t know. We are all being done and there’s no follow up.”
Great British Menu chef Tommy Heaney’s restaurant was recently broken into just weeks after opening.
After months of building work on the former Arbenning site and crowdfunding £40,00 last year, Heaney’s officially opened on October 10.
But less than a month later, the restaurant was broken into and cash was taken from the safe.
CCTV shows a man entering the Pontcanna restaurant during the early hours of Friday morning.
The Crumlin-born chef said valuables in his restaurant weren’t touched, with only cash from the safe taken.
Tommy said: “They took the staff tips who have been working hard since we opened and we just want to get it out there that if there’s any information please come forward.”
In October WalesOnline reported that four restaurants were broken into in the Pontcanna area.
Fine dining venue Bully’s was targeted by thieves and La Cuina, The Smoke House and Rock and Malt have all had to pay thousands of pounds worth of damages after each break-in.
Bully’s owner Russell Bullimore said police were called after an overnight “grab and run”.
The empty till was later discovered at Llandaff playing fields.
Russell said only the till was taken as fine wines and electrical good were left behind.
Wyndam Crescent fish and chip shop Rock and Malt said they were told to install shutters by police after reporting three break-ins in two months.
Manager Naheed Malik said: “The thing is it’s a nice area and there are nice shops here. Police are suggesting we put shutters up but it will spoil the area, it won’t look nice.”
He described it as “real nuisance” and they were “just looking for money”.
Smoke House owner Jaz Davies said the cost of repairing the restaurant after a burglary is the biggest worry.
The American-themed restaurant on Pontcanna Street has had two break-ins this year alone, one in March, one in June.
Jaz said she believes they are just targeting tills and on the second occasion it cost them £1,000 in damages.
La Cuina manager Hamir Bouchlid also said they were burgled in October.
Co-founder of The Bridge Studios Jodie Davies said they have been broken in to three times since opening.
Bloc Coffee in Canton also confirmed they were broken into in recent weeks.
Bloc Coffee joint owner Donna Paton said they were broken into around three weeks ago and a tip jar was taken.
Donna said: “It’s a bit of a shock, it’s not nice to turn up to work and see the damage.
“I think they were looking for cash. They obviously couldn’t find any so they took a small tip jar.
“It’s just upsetting when people put a lot of hard work into their business and people come along and feel they can just suddenly take from it. “
She added that police did respond quickly after the break-in was reported.
Coffi Co recently announced they
will no longer take cash from customers after a spate of recent nighttime burglaries.
In October they saw two of their Cardiff Bay branches broken into twice in the last month, despite no money being left on the premises overnight.
“It’s very frustrating because there’s no money kept in the tills over night, or in the safe, so they usually leave with nothing more than the contents of the tip jar,” said owner Justin Carty, 44, previously.
“So, just like those transit van bumper stickers which say ‘no tools kept on board overnight,’ I want to get across the message there’s no point in keeping on trying to burgle us.
“You’re not going to get any money – all you’re doing is landing us with one glazer’s bill after another.”
On October 30 police said Cardiff is currently averaging around one business break-in, involving both small independent businesses and larger retail premises, a day.
A spokeswoman said a common theme of the recent burglaries is that they are committed during the early hours of the morning, entry is gained by smashing doors or windows and cash is stolen from tills, safes and charity boxes.
Local Policing Inspector for Cardiff Bay Phil Griffiths said: “Being a victim of burglary, whether it’s your home, your business, or where you work is a traumatic experience and we are working hard to put a stop to this recent rise in commercial burglaries.
“We believe that one or two groups of people are responsible because the method in many of these burglaries is so similar.
“We would ask business to review their security systems and make it clear that there is no cash on the premises overnight.”
While most of the burglaries have been “smash and grab” type offences, others have been “technical burglaries” where items have been stolen from behind shop counters and non-public areas during opening hours.
Crime prevention tactical advisers have visited victims and are also raising awareness with the wider business community.
Inspector Griffiths added: “We would ask people to be vigilant of anyone seen hanging around businesses or retail premises during the early hours of the morning.
“If anyone is seen acting suspiciously please call police immediately.”
The operation in place from midnight involves response and neighbourhood officers, sometimes in plain clothes, doing enhanced patrols in areas where there are shops and restaurants paying particular attention to areas where there have been burglaries.
Police said each burglary is investigated and crime reduction officers then visit the premises.
Speaking yesterday, police said these arrests had been made in connection with commercial premises burglaries:
A 39-year-old man from Canton and a 34-year-old man from Ely have been arrested for the burglary at The Bridge Studios. They have been released under investigation.
A 32-year-old man from Grangetown was arrested on Saturday November 10 on suspicion of commercial burglary and going equipped. He was stopped by police in a vehicle and found to be in possession of a number of tools, a torch and gloves.
A 27-year-old man has been charged with two commercial burglaries and five thefts from commercial premises. He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court and is remanded on bail until November 27.
A 31-year-old man from Butetown has been charged with a commercial burglary in Grangetown and theft. He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on October 4 and was sent to prison for 18 weeks.
A 45-year-old man from Newport has been charged with a commercial burglary in Grangtown, and is due to appear in court on November 22.
A 47-year-old man from Riverside has been arrested for the commercial burglary at Giovanni’s.
A South Wales Police spokesman said it was aware of the incident at Heaney’s and is investigating.
Anyone with information on who is involved in these burglaries is asked to contact South Wales Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting occurrence number 403881.