Local thieves may be behind Kinross raids

Wave of attacks on business premises in lower half of town’s High Street

Business owners fear a local gang is behind a string of attacks on a community’s cafes and companies.

The lower half of Kinross High Street has been blighted by the attacks in the last six months.

The most recent was at Number 98 Cafe, where £3,000 of damage was caused to the shopfront, and the till and tips jar were stolen.

Traders fear the area is being targeted because there is no publicly-managed CCTV coverage.

Number 98 owner, Jim Boyd, whose own camera system caught the culprits on film, said: “I wasn’t surprised, I sort of expected someone to do something like this.”

Fellow cafe owner Chris Bode of Unorthodox Roasters has suffered two break-ins. He said: “It must be some sort of gang. They’re looking for easy targets but it’s causing us more harm than any benefits they receive.”

A gang of thieves are suspected to be behind a string of break-ins in Kinross.

Police are hunting two men after the latest attack in the town’s High Street but local business owners think there are more people involved in the targeted attacks.

There have been at least five breakins in the lower part of the street over the last six months, with the latest at Café 98 causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Two suspects were captured on CCTV at 8.20pm on Sunday, using their shoulders to barge open the door of the café, which is popular with walkers using the nearby Loch Leven Heritage Trail.

The men made five attempts to batter the art deco-style door before finally bursting it open and robbing the café’.

They then made off with the till tray and a tip jar – neither of which contained a substantial sum of money.

The amount of damage to the door and shopfront is thought to be around £3,000.

The first suspect is 5’11” tall and was wearing dark trousers, a light-coloured jacket and dark hoodie and the second 5’9” tall and wearing light-coloured trousers and jacket.

Cafe owner Jim Boyd said those targeted suspect the culprits live locally.

“They knew the area and knew there was no public CCTV down this end of town so they can do what they like,” he said.

The 37-year-old discovered the destruction when he opened the café the morning after the break-in.

“I sort of expected someone to do something like this,” he said.

“There was an attempt before which prompted me to get CCTV fitted.

“I was very surprised at the time of day, there must have been a lot of people passing. I thought it was weird that no one thought to call the police.

“At the end of the day, everything can be replaced and no one was hurt but I was quite upset about the door. I’ll have to find something similar to replace it.”

It is at least the fifth break-in at the bottom end of the town’s High Street in the last six months.

Nearby café and coffee importer Unorthodox Roasters has been targeted twice in the last six months.

Owner Chris Bode, 30, said businesses in the area were careful not to keep anything of value in their premises overnight.

“It must be some sort of gang,” added. “They’re looking for easy targets but it’s causing us more harm than any benefits they receive.

“We don’t keep anything of value in the shop – unless we’re talking about 60kg bags of raw green coffee, which I can’t imagine are very easy to move on.” A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Anyone who has any information should contact Police Scotland on 101.”

I was very surprised at the time of day, there must have been a lot of people passing. I thought it was weird that no one thought to call the police. CAFE OWNER JIM BOYD

Picture: Kenny Smith. Cafe 98 owner Jim Boyd in his premises which were recently broken into.