Thieves steal charity box during Blackpool sandwich shop break-in

Callous thieves broke into a Blackpool sandwich shop in order to steal funds from a charity box.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Jan 2019, 15:56 BST
Updated 15th Jan 2019, 16:59 BST
The brick used to smash the window.The brick used to smash the window.
The brick used to smash the window.

Kate’s on Woodland Grove, just off Whitegate Drive, was targeted by the thieves who made off with around £50 in change and a Aiming Higher charity collection box.

The incident happened at 4.20am on Monday when the thieves threw a house brick through the shop’s front window in order to gain entry.

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The shop’s owner Kate Seed, inset, believes the thieves knew what they were looking for after she watched CCTV of the incident taking place.

Thieves broke the window of Kate's to gain entry to the shop. Credit: Kate SeedThieves broke the window of Kate's to gain entry to the shop. Credit: Kate Seed
Thieves broke the window of Kate's to gain entry to the shop. Credit: Kate Seed

She said: “They were in and out in about 30 seconds and it was pitch black. You could see they knew where they wanted to go. I think possibly they must have come into the shop as customers and noticed the charity box.”

The environmentally friendly eatery, which uses compostable cutlery and cardboard boxes to avoid plastic waste, uploaded an image of the house brick on Facebook with a caption ‘Do you recognise this brick?’

Kate said: “We are keeping our chins up with our now resident shop brick but are disgusted to have been targeted again for the third time in six months. We are just a small independent business trying to make a living.”

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Kate discovered the break-in when she went to open the shop shortly before 8am. Due to the damage the shop didn’t open until 11.30am which affected the early morning trade.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “We responded to a report at 7.45am about a shop on Woodland Grove being broken into. It was established the incident happened at around 4.20am.

“Around £50 in cash is believed to have been taken from the shop. Our enquiries are still ongoing and no arrests have been made as of yet. If anyone has any information call 101 and quote 188 of January 14.”

Kate’s sandwich shop has been targeted by thieves previously after they broke into the shop twice in the space of a week in June last year.

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During the first incident the shop was ransacked and all of the food was destroyed.

A week later the shop was struck by thieves again, which saw a series of smash-and-grab raids on takeaways in Blackpool.

Related topics:BlackpoolCCTVFacebookLancashire Police