‘WE’RE PAYING BACK WHAT HE’S GIVEN US’
Community rally round to help shop reopen after ram raid
A VILLAGE post office has reopened for business after a ram raider smashed into the shop.
Shopkeeper Pratheesh Shanmuganathan, aged 35, was devastated after his Caverswall Village Shop and Post Office was targeted on Saturday, March 20.
The store is a focal point for villagers, who raised thousands of pounds within hours to help with paying for repairs.
Although it suffered heavy damage to the front, an assessment found it to be structurally safe, enabling it to reopen a day later.
Mr Shanmuganathan, who was recently named a community champion for his work, said:
“I feel proud, because there’s a lot of emotional things going on in my mind due to this ram raid. But luckily, I’ve got a lovely community. At the moment, I feel more confident I’m not alone. I’ve got lovely people to back me up, so I don’t to worry about anything.
“It’s a lot of damage inside, but there’s no structural damage luckily, so it’s easier to rebuild.
“Myself, district councillor Paul Roberts, the neighbours and my friends came from London, and lovely people in the village pulled together.
“We tried to clear all the rubbish inside and make the place safe and secure to open so we cleared all the area, and people in the village turned up to do the cleaning up.”
Customers and villagers were also delighted at the reopening.
Elizabeth Preece, aged 93, of Caverswall, said: “He’s still delivering our papers, even now. I’ve had my paper this morning.
“He’s been such a great fellow to the area and he’s been so helpful for everyone.”
Customer Phil Clayton said:
“He does get a lot of support because he’s very well liked, and he does all sort of things for the community.”
District councillor Paul Roberts was instrumental in organising the effort to reopen the shop.
He said: “Everybody came together. He’s had that many offers of help, it’s been overwhelming.
“The post office is the heart of the community. The community are now paying back to him what he has given us.”
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: “Detectives are continuing to investigate.
“We would ask anymore who may have relevant CCTV or dash cam footage to come forward.
“We are also looking to trace a Mercedes Sprinter van thought to have been used in the incident.”
Anyone with any information can call 101, send a message on Facebook or Twitter or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.