A cafe inSt George has been targeted multiple times by thieves over the last year. The Orchard Coffee & Co, on Clouds Hill Road, has suffered a spate of thefts,over the last 12 months, including three separate incidents captured on CCTV in just one week.
In one of the incidents on June 4, the offender is said to have entered the cafe and taken £50 from the till, before stealing all of the tablespoons. In a statement,Avon and Somerset Police said: “A number of burglaries where cash has been stolen fromThe Orchard Coffee & Co in St George have been reported to us over the past 12 months.
“Burglary is a devastating crime and we recognise the impact it has on businesses. It can cause significant financial losses, not just only in the value of the stolen goods, but also in terms of a potential loss of trade, higher insurance premiums and repair work.
“Between November 2023 and January 2024 we had several burglaries reported to us where entry was forced to the business outside of opening hours and cash was stolen. Officers have attended the café when these burglaries have occurred and investigated each incident in an attempt to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators involved.
“This has included officers searching the surrounding area upon receiving a 999 call and also reviewing CCTV footage from the premises and other cameras. We have sought to work with the business closely to provide expertise to help protect it from being targeted.
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“Last year we provided the café staff with advice around installing CCTV to act as a deterrent to criminals and to secure potentially crucial evidence in the event of any further incidents, which is now in operation.
“In February our crime prevention team visited the café and subsequently provided staff with further advice around site security, after which the number of incidents reported to police has reduced. We have also worked with our dedicated burglary and offender management teams to analyse any links to any other similar crimes in the area and consider whether any criminals with a history of committing such offences in the locality may have been responsible.
“The local neighbourhood team is aware of the burglaries and have carried out reassurance visits to the café and carried out patrols in the area too. Unfortunately, despite extensive efforts, we have not been able to establish the identity of any person responsible for these offences.
“We are committed to bringing any burglar to justice, whether it is a house they target or a business premises, and would encourage all victims to report such crimes to us. The more information we have, the greater prospect we have of identifying offenders and securing a conviction.
“Anyone with information about any of these burglaries is asked to report it to police.”