A number of local businesses on Wimborne Road became targets for burglary this September, with loot taken and damage caused.
A cafe, butchers and pharmacist were among a number of businesses burgled last month. Independent shops were targeted and lost equipment and money as well as valuable time spent repairing damage.
Will Stevens, owner of Wistmans Café which was targeted in the spree on September 10, said: “Maybe they thought, as a small business we would be more likely to make mistakes – leave cash behind and valuables unlocked.”
An invasion of space
As an independent, the work Stevens and his partner have put into making Wistmans the café it now is has left a feeling of invasion of a space they created. Undeterred however, Wistmans marches forward, as Stevens, 28, says:
“It was a year’s anniversary of us opening and at the time it left us feeling a bit sick – only been here a year there was a feeling of home invasion. But we considered it part and parcel of owning a business and we opened that same day.”
Only two shops down are family owned Armstrong Butchers, another victim of the robbing spree. Paul Armstrong, owner of the butcher shop has also had to tighten his security following the break in.
Armstrong, 53, says: “We received a phone call from Will who owns the coffee shop, saying that he had been burgled and that I should come down and have a look – I turned up and found that we too had been broken into.”
Equipment taken
Damage was caused, as a broken window and mess was found upon Armstrong arriving at the scene. A search of the premises found that a number of important items were also taken.
Armstrong says: “They took the CCTV equipment so we couldn’t see who it was – they ripped the safe out the wall, took my laptop and parts for a machine that were expensive.”
Dorset Police have confirmed that they received reports of burglaries at both premises, but arrests are yet to be made relating to the incident. If you have any information regarding the crime, please contact Dorset Police on 101.
