Call for Shrewsbury to be 'vigilant' after restaurant among crime spree victims
A restaurant boss has called for Shrewsbury people to be more vigilant in town after another break-in.
CSONS in Milk Street, Shrewsbury, was broken into on Saturday night, with cash, spirits and keys stolen. It was yet another in a large spate of recent burglaries in the town centre.
Co-owner Adam Crouch said he feels sorry for police trying to deal with the outbreak, and hopes the community can continue to look out for one another.
"All we had stolen was cash, lots of spirits and two sets of keys, so we had to get all the locks changed," he said. "We're about £1,300 out of pocket, although hopefully we'll get some of that back on insurance.
"I just feel sorry for the police, they get no funding."
Fortunately, staff were able to rally and get the restaurant ready, and they have enjoyed a successful first few days back after indoor dining was permitted again.
"We've been busy, and the weekend is looking fantastic," added Adam.
"I think we all need to just be that bit more vigilant in town."
Spate
Since CSONS was targeted, the not-for-profit Palmer's of Shrewsbury cafe, which supports rough sleepers in the town, was burgled on Tuesday night.
A week last Sunday, Darwin’s Sandwich Evolution in Shoplatch had its door smashed in and money stolen from the till. Also last week, Pomona Grocery in Castle Street was targeted, and another burglary was attempted at Goldsmiths of Shrewsbury, just weeks after £20,000 of watches were stolen. Arrests were made following both incidents at Goldsmiths.
Police said they were looking for one other person in connection with town centre break-ins at the time.
A spate of burglaries took place in April over the Easter Bank Holiday and the following weekend. Among the victims were Strands hairdressers, The Allotment, Stop. Cafe and Nomad Coffee Co.
As well as aiming to catch criminals as early as possible, police have been looking into longer term preventative measures and hope to enforce town centre bans on the culprits. Patrols have increased in the town, however incidents still occurring have been a cause for concerns for town centre business owners.
