£1,000 LAMPS RAID AT SHOP
THIEVES who smashed their way into a family business stole more than £1,000 worth of lamps and caused hundreds of pounds of damage.
Now police are appealing for witnesses to the crime at the Happy Home Furnishers shop in Cardiff.
The break-in happened after the Sloper Road store shut on Thursday and before 6am the next day.
“We locked up on Thursday evening as normal and then it was discovered at six o’clock on Friday morning,” managing director Michael Semmens said.
“We had a call from someone that one of the windows had been put through and when we had got in there had been a burglary.
“They had stolen £1,200 worth of lamps.”
The 35-year-old thought “there must have been a few” people involved.
“They had smashed the window with bricks – it was a strong, toughened glass window,” he said.
“We had the police around and they sent forensics.
“They managed to find blood on the glass so they might have cut themselves on the way out. They have taken that for testing.”
The thieves went around the store picking out specific items.
“They went right into the shop,” dad-of-three Michael said.
“They have taken one or two that were in the window and then they have taken some that were on the units.
“It’s a bit of a pain – we have got a smashed window that we have boarded up and it’s a hassle and an inconvenience.
“The window is about £600 to replace on top of £1,200 worth of lamps.”
He asked the public to keep a lookout.
“We’re appealing to anyone in the Cardiff area who is offered lamps for sale at cheap prices, or if anyone sees them for sale on Gumtree or Face- book, to report them to the police,” he said.
This is the first time the Cardiff branch of the business, which opened 18 months ago, has suffered a break-in.
“There are a couple of units nearby that have been broken into in the last 12 months,” Michael, from Neath, said.
“They have CCTV on the unit next door so the police will be checking that.
“We’re now getting CCTV ourselves put in, so if this ever happens again we’ll hopefully get them on camera.”
He thought the crime was carried out by a few people.
“Judging by what was taken – six fairly substantial lamps – to be able to carry them there must have been at least three of them,” Michael said.
They “seemed to have known” what they were looking for.
“They have gone around the shop and unplugged the same type of item,” he said.
“It looks as if they knew what they were looking for. They didn’t go for the cash drawer, not that we keep any on the premises.”
South Wales Police confirmed they were investigating the matter.
“We had a report on the morning of May 5,” a spokesman said.
“It would appear that some time overnight a window was broken and they had been broken into.
“It’s an ongoing investigation.”