‘We won’t let thieves hound us out’
BEER SHOP’S OWNERS ARE DEFIANT AFTER CRIMINALS BREAK IN AND TAKE CASH
OWNERS of a small independent beer shop have vowed not to let criminals hound them out of business after burglars smashed their way into the store and stole cash.
Ale and cider specialist Brews of the World, in Station Street, Burton, is about to celebrate one year in business, but was forced to close on Sunday to clear up after the break-in.
Chris McCormack, who owns the shop with friend Robin Ludlow, said: “It’s not going to stop us. If they’d come and taken the stock we would have been in trouble. But we can absorb this one-time hit on the till.
Thieves broke into the shop around 4am on Sunday, as they were caught on the store’s CCTV.
They smashed their way in through two doors at the back of the store and took £250 from the till.
Mr McCormack said security will now be beefed up at the shop and no money will be kept on the premises from now on.
The shop, which sells specialist bottled ales from around the world, is due to celebrate one year in business this Sunday.
Mr McCormack says he was horrified after he found the break-in after opening up the store as usual at around 11.30am on Sunday.
The 44-year-old said: “The till was on the floor. There were coins all over the floor as well.
“I walked to the back, it looked like they’ve come in through the back at the car park.
“There’s a door that’s been forced, they’ve taken another two doors to get through. One was off its hinges.
“The other one, I’d locked it with a latch on the top.
“They’d used our tools which were stored in the corridor to smash this door open to unlock it.
“It’s a bit of a mess at the back. The door is being fixed as we speak. We weren’t sure if the till was going to work again, but we put it back on the counter and it all appears back in working order.
“That was the main concern because without a till, we can’t trade.”
Mr McCormack is determined the impact will be “minimal” to the business long-term and it was a lesson on security, which would benefit the shop in the long run.
Now, steps are being taken to make Brews of the World more secure, by “beefing up the doors”, adjusting security cameras and totally reviewing the alarm system.
He said: “It’s disappointing. I don’t know what their motives were, I guess for the money really.
“They were very efficient, they were in and out in about a minute or so.
“The main worry was, the till is all interconnected with a card machine, but we open it manually, but without the system we would’ve lost payments and business.”
The shop sells an array of beers, ales and ciders from around the world, with shelves dedicated to beverages from as far afield as Belgium, Germany and even Japan.
The two friends set up the business with the hope of tapping into the “incredible brewing history of Burton”.
And Mr McCormacksaid they were starting to feel like they have a “great foothold” on the brewery scene of the town.
Staffordshire Police are investigating the crime and are asking anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour near the business on Saturday evening into Sunday morning to contact resolutioncentre@staffordshire.pnn.police.uk quoting incident number 309 of 11 November.”