Break-ins put A68 cafe business under strain

A SLEW of break-ins at a roadside cafe in the past two years is not the work of organised criminals, say police.
A break-in at The 68 Cafe, in Toft Hill, on New Year’s Day, was one of three burglary attempts in the space of a month.
There have been eight reported attempts since the frustrated owner, Paula Kempin, took over the business six years ago.
She has since taken away charity collection tins which she believes the criminals were targeting.
In an effort to allay people’s fears about crime in the area, police visited Etherley Parish Council to explain that “substantive” security measures have been put in place at the isolated business.
PC Dave Greenwell told councillors during their February meeting that two people have been arrested in connection with one of the December burglaries and evidence had been found during the New Year’s Day incident.
PC Greenwell said: “They are on bail with conditions not to enter this part of Bishop Auckland. ”
Councillors heard that the business is vulnerable to burglaries because the rear of the property cannot be seen from the road. Most of the attempts to get in have been made to doors and windows at the back, he said.
PC Greenwell said: “It doesn’t take a detective to work it out – it is the location that is the issue. I have managed to get a crime prevention officer involved who has been and done a full site survey for this last burglary and the occupier has put in place a lot of the target-hardening measures around it to make it more difficult. The owner is in a position where she is going to be like HMP Durham.”
In the past, a burglar who was identified by his blood after he cut himself while breaking in, said he had taken £40 from a Great North Air Ambulance Service charity box to cover the cost of a taxi fair. The burglar had been visiting a friend in Toft Hill and needed to get home, the meeting heard.
Although there is little to steal and thieves make off with little money, the damage they create runs into hundreds of pounds, said Ms Kempin.
The business, which runs on tight margins, is put under additional strain each time it is targeted because the cafe misses out on trade while police investigate and staff clean up.
Ms Kempin said: “It is very demoralising, not just for me, but also for the staff. You come in and there is a mess everywhere.”
The cafe now has extensive security, including an alarm that alerts the owner and CCTV, but how much to add is creating a dilemma of its own.
Ms Kempin worries that “armour plating” everything will create the impression there is something worth stealing. The cost of the equipment is also a concern.
She said: “How many bacon sandwiches do you have to sell to put shutters on 18 windows?”
Among the charities that are now losing out because of the criminal activity are Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Great North Air Ambulance Service and a cerebral palsy group.