Action being taken following business burglaries across Newark

Officers have stepped up patrols and visits to businesses in Newark following a series of recent break-ins.

The neighbourhood policing team is in the process of investigating multiple reports of town centre stores being burgled.

Two shops had their doors and windows smashed by intruders after being targeted during the early hours of Thursday (5 December).

A hammer was reportedly used to gain access to a phone shop in Middle Gate during the first incident, which happened around 3.40am.

Three people managed to get inside the store, before fleeing empty-handed on a white moped after being disturbed.

A separate break-in then took place around 5.35am, after a lone intruder used a crowbar to smash the door of a furniture shop in Lombard Street.

As with the previous incident – which police don’t believe to be linked to this one – nothing was ultimately stolen from the store.   

These burglaries followed two other commercial break-ins over the fortnight before, during which a door or windows were again smashed to gain entry.

A Bar Gate dry cleaners had cash stolen and a charity box swiped from the counter, at some point between 3pm on 20 November and 8am on 21 November.

An intruder then ransacked a café in Stodman Street, between midnight and 2am on 1 December – stealing the till and numerous items following an untidy search.

Investigating officers have been conducting extensive CCTV inquiries over the last couple of weeks to try and trace whoever was responsible for the two incidents – which officers again don't believe to be linked.

The neighbourhood policing team has also been visiting businesses to offer them reassurance and crime prevention advice, with late night patrols being stepped up as well.

This will continue in the wake of Thursday morning’s break-ins, with the area’s district commander emphasising the efforts currently being undertaken to locate the culprits.

Inspector Charlotte Ellam, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“We completely appreciate just how upsetting and demoralising it must feel to see your business broken into and items stolen from within.

“Nobody has the right to damage someone else’s livelihood in this way, which unfortunately has been the case with each of these four separate incidents.

“I want to stress just how seriously we’re taking each of these recent reports, with our officers conducting extensive amounts of CCTV inquiries to try and locate those responsible.

“In addition to visiting shops across the town centre to provide some reassurance and offer crime prevention advice, we have also looked to provide a more visible policing presence on the streets.

“Extra late night and early hour patrols in and around Newark have been taking place to try and deter and spot offending, and this will continue.

“Inquiries are still ongoing into each of these burglaries, so I’d appeal to anyone who has any information but hasn’t shared it with us yet to please contact the police, so that we can take further action.”

Information can be left anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, while the police can be contacted on 101 and via the incident numbers below:

• 125 of 21 November 2024 for the Bar Gate incident
• 166 of 1 December 2024 for the Stodman Street incident
• 46 of 5 December 2024 for the Middle Gate incident
• 59 of 5 December 2024 for the Lombard Street incident