Bungling burglars raided fake bank
THIEVING PAIR BROKE INTO ESCAPE ROOM AND LEFT EVIDENCE BEHIND
A PAIR of thieves have been branded ‘Manchester’s stupidest burglars’ after breaking into a fake bank.
The duo smashed their way into the popular Lucardo Escape Rooms premises on Great Ancoats Street in the city centre and wandered around one of the sets – a makebelieve bank – looking for money.
They have also been ridiculed by the angry owners after they took a drink and forgot one item they bagged up to steal.
One of the escape rooms at the attraction is called Gem Runner, where players have an hour to find a diamond in a mock bank heist.
And CCTV footage which captures them in the act shows them going around the fake bank
Angry director Ian Pownall said: “They must be Manchester’s stupidest burglars.
“They were opening every drawer in there looking for cash. They couldn’t get through the locks so they had a drill and were unscrewing panels of their hinges. It’s as if they thought it was a real bank.
“But obviously there was nothing inside them, just puzzles.
“Maybe they hadn’t been in an escape room before or didn’t know what it was, but they looked completely bemused. “There’s certainly an irony to it.” The raiders broke through three sets of doors to gain entry where they then ransacked the premises, stealing cash and causing extensive damage.
Parts of the Viginia House premises, which is rigged up with more than 50 CCTV cameras, were ransacked – including the bank robbery-themed games room.
The raiders had also taken a can of Coke from the fridge and left it partly-drunk, which police are hoping they can retrieve DNA evidence from.
A camera used to take photos of customers who escape the game was also bagged up as it was ready to be stolen but had been left behind. Around £100 was also stolen and bosses estimate around £1,000 of damage has been caused. They also say they will lose £1,000 in revenue after cancelling bookings.
In the CCTV footage one of the men is wearing what appears to be a mask, however at one point it is above his head to his face can be seen, whilst the second man is wearing a balaclava.
Ian, 26, a director at the firm which opened in September 2016, said the incident would have a big impact on their business at a crucial time of year.
He said: “We’re not a big corporation, we’re a small, family-owned business so even a couple of thousand pounds will have an effect on us, particularly before Christmas.
“It’s just so stupid what they’ve done and the way they’ve gone about it.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.