Security plea after shop raided again

BUSINESSES on Bridge Street have pleaded with Bassetlaw Council and Notts Police to step up security after a newsagent was targeted for the THIRD time in less than a month.

Burglars broke into Newstyme around 2am on Monday 12th March and stole the shop’s entire cigarette display.

The incident came weeks after £3,500 worth of cigarettes were stolen from the shop on 14th February, followed by a second attempted break-in around 18th February.

Various businesses on Bridge Street have also been targeted in the past few weeks, including The Barber Shop and The Olive Grove.

Newstyme owner Geetha Vajeeharan said she was ‘devastated’ by the break-ins and said more needed to be done to protect local businesses.

“I feel so angry - I am not sleeping at night and it’s making me ill,” she said.

“The police and the council need to work together to stop this happening.”

She added: “People say I can claim on my insurance, but it’s the excess which is costing me thousands of pounds - I just can’t afford it.”

“This is not just happening to me but to other businesses as well. Something needs to be done - we can’t carry on living like this every day.”

David Hopkinson of Castle Jewellers called on the police to ‘get their act together’ before another business was targeted.

In a letter addressed to Insp Steve Cartwright, he wrote: “How long will this lady’s insurance stand this while you get your act together, before they say they will no longer cover her premises?”

“For goodness sake help this lady out and patrol this town centre before we end up losing profitable businesses and pay her to stay at home?”

Insp Cartwright said targeting the persistent offenders on Bridge Street was a ‘priority’.

“We are aware of the emotional and financial distress the crimes are causing business owners and we are meeting the challenge head on, working closely with Bassetlaw Council to improve CCTV coverage,” he said.

“We are fully investigating the incident at Newstyme and are doing everything we can to bring the offender or offenders to justice.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information about the perpetrators or the whereabouts of the stolen tobacco is asked to contact Notts Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.