Businesses Across North Eastern England Hit by Crime

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Businesses Across North Eastern England Hit by Crime

Police have urged business owners across the North East of England to be on high alert after a spate of high profile burglaries over the last month have left several enterprises in tatters. Thieves targeted sites in Kendal and Carlisle, leading to concerns that further robberies in the area could take place in the coming days and weeks.

As a result, Cumbria Police have issued a security warning advising all business owners to lock their doors and windows, guard all items of value safely under lock and key and generally keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour.

Paintballing company shot to pieces

A father-and-son duo have been left distraught after their paintballing business was raided earlier this month, sometime between March 15th and 19th. Andy Whittaker and his 23-year-old son Jordan Lewis-Skipper had poured time, money and energy into getting their business up and running, but saw all that hard work wiped out by the thoughtlessness and greed of some unscrupulous criminals.

The thieves broke into the armoury and ground the padlocks off the equipment, helping themselves to the most expensive items. Among others, they made off with a petrol chainsaw, a Bauer air compressor, gas canisters and several paintballing guns. In addition to the loss of equipment, the pair were also forced to cancel the bookings for the day in question, amounting to over £700 in takings.

“We were absolutely gutted and we are still in shock,” Jordan told the News and Star. “We have liability insurance, but were unable to get contents cover because of where the business is sited… This setback has all but reset our full year, the road ahead looks foggy and upsetting, but we hope to come back from it with all the help of our great customers.

“It’s going to have a very adverse effect on the business but we are determined to keep going. We would be happy to accept donations until we get back on our feet. In the meantime we are looking at trying to source second-hand equipment. We will pursue this legally to the end, but are completely gutted.”

Ten grand stolen from industrial estate

Meanwhile in the Lake District, £10,000 worth of equipment was stolen from an industrial state in Kendal. The theft is believed to have taken place at the beginning of the month, in the late hours of the evening between 8pm and 12.34am on Monday 6th March.

Concerned by the theft, Cumbria Police took the opportunity to warn local businessmen about the threat of robbery and stressed the importance of taking proper security measures.

“Historically, insecure properties on industrial estates and in rural areas have been targeted locally due to their locations,” said a police statement. “Criminals by nature are opportunists, and if they can gain access to your business without having to force entry then they will steal from you. Locking windows and doors is a simple measure that deters criminals from committing offences.”

Safeguard your own business from opportunistic thieves

The threat of criminal activity is unfortunately an ever-present one, but business-based burglaries appear to be on the rise right now. With that in mind, there’s never been a better time to take adequate precautions to safeguard your own premises.

At Blackburn Alarms, we have a whole host of intruder alerts, CCTV security cameras and access control systems to increase safety and give you peace of mind. To find out more about how we can help secure your home or workplace, get in touch with us today.

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