Spike in demand for sewing machines sees masked thieves raid shop

Police are hunting masked thieves who forced their way into a specialist craft store in Highland Perthshire and made off with highly sought after sewing machines.

In what appears to be a pre-planned raid, the men moved CCTV cameras before jimmying open the back door of a warehouse at Karelia House, near Aberfeldy.

They fled with hundreds of pounds worth of equipment, including two Brother sewing machines, a laptop and two cameras.

The men, who were wearing balaclavas, are thought to have struck at the remote business between 11pm and midnight on Tuesday.

Manager Sam Weir said that since lockdown, sewing machines have become sought-after items, after a surge in demand from housebound families looking for a new hobby.

“It’s hard to say if this was opportunistic, but they appeared to know where our cameras were,” she said.

“They turned around one of the CCTV cameras at the front, so it was facing the other way.

“They would have needed to stand on a chair or something to do that.”

She said: “It looked like they also tried to move a camera at the back. Then they prised open the door and got inside.”

Ms We i r, who runs Karelia House with her mother Shirley Shearer, said: “From the CCTV footage, it appears to be two people. We couldn’t see a vehicle.

“We are just very grateful that they didn’t take more than they did.”

She said: “Sewing machines are really hard to get hold of just now, because of the backlog caused by lockdown when there was a huge increase in demand.

“We had been waiting for sewing machines to be delivered for a very long time.

“We h av e the serial numbers, so we will be able to trace them.”

Ms Weir raised the alarm when she arrived for work at 8.30am and noticed the damaged door.

CCTV footage from outside the business shows one thief with a “distinctive swagger ”, dressed in a hoodie and possibly baggy trousers.

Karelia House, which is in a remote part of the countryside near the River Lyon, is known as a crafter’s paradise among loyal customers from around the world.

As well as sewing equipment, it offers customers an abundance of yarns and fabrics, as well as a café.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Officers received a report of a break-in at a premises off the B846 near Aberfeldy.

“Inquiries are at an early stage.”

Picture by Gareth Jennings. ROBBED: Sam Weir, of sewing equipment specialists Karelia House, near Aberfeldy.

One of the thieves.