Thieves target café trying to recover from devastating Waterloo Road fire in South Shore
“I am absolutely fuming, heartbroken, exhausted and honestly at the point where I’m asking myself, what more are we supposed to take?”
The owner of a Blackpool café has been left ‘beyond angry’ and ‘heartbroken’ after thieves robbed their business just months after it was left in ruin by a devastating fire.
Heartless robbers hit the South Shore Pitstop Community Café last night, stealing copper wiring, a CCTV unit and causing significant damage to a door and boiler.
This latest blow comes just months after February’s devastating Waterloo Road fire which left several businesses, including the South Shore Pitstop Community Café, in ruins.
The Pitstop Café has been unable to reopen since the fire for a number of different issues, including disputes over insurance payments. The last few months have been both ‘mentally and emotionally exhausting’ for owner Sarah Hallett and her family, and this week’s break-in has now left her at breaking point.
“I am absolutely fuming, heartbroken, exhausted and honestly at the point where I’m asking myself, what more are we supposed to take,” she told The Gazette.
“After the fire we lost our routine, our livelihood, our stability and so much of what we worked so hard to build. We have watched our community café sit empty, knowing what it once meant to so many people.
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“Yet somehow, we have continued to try to stay positive. We have tried to keep going. We have tried to find a way forward, even on the days when we have barely had the strength to get out of bed and face another battle.
“A business that has already been left struggling because of a devastating fire has now been targeted by people who have taken it upon themselves to cause even more damage and heartache. I am beyond angry. I am hurt, I am exhausted, and I am fed up.”
Sarah is unsure when the break-in actually took place, as before this week she hadn’t visited the property since September. To gain access to the café, the thieves removed a security door. They then stole a large amount of copper piping and a CCTV unit before inflicting significant damage to the building’s boiler, radiators and heating system.
A spokesperson from Lancashire Police confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing. Anyone with information should call 101 quoting log number 0377 of 30th October.
Understandably, the fire and break-in has taken a significant toll on Sarah and her family.
“What people don't see is the months of worry, the sleepless nights, the tears, the constant phone calls, the bills, the uncertainty and the sheer mental and emotional exhaustion that comes with trying to fight your way through something like this,” she added.
“They don't see how many times we have picked ourselves up, wiped away the tears and told ourselves that things have to get better. They don't see the heartbreak of losing the place you poured so much love into, the place where people came for breakfasts, Sunday roasts, a chat, a bit of company and a sense of community. South Shore Pitstop was never just a café to us. It was our heart and soul.
“We have done absolutely nothing to deserve this, I honestly feel like every time we try to take one tiny step forward, something comes along and pushes us ten steps backwards. How much more can one family take before they finally break? We didn’t ask for any of this, we just wanted a chance to rebuild our lives.
“To whoever is responsible, I hope you understand that these aren't just things you've stolen. You've added more hurt, more stress and more suffering to people who were already struggling to put their lives back together.”