A businessman who “cannot sleep” after thieves broke into his shop says he does not feel safe leaving his store anymore.
Windows were smashed, a door was broken and a till was stolen from Nathaniel Woodward’s sweet shop ‘Woodward’s Confection’ in Union Street, Wisbech on May 21.
Mr Woodward, who usually works from his other shop in Long Sutton, was called to the Wisbech store by a member of staff who returned to collect his mobile phone.
“A member of staff left his phone at the shop, came back around 10pm and discovered it was broken into,” he said.
“Around three people had been hovering around the shop, but from the (CCTV) footage, there could have been five people involved. They were all roughly 14 to 25-years-old.”
Electrical items were also stolen during the break-in.
Mr Woodward, who was forced to shut until Sunday because of the burglary, said he has now got over £1,000 worth of damage to recover, but it is not the financial impact that is affecting him most.
“The mental torture hits me more than money,” he said.
“Money is a smaller issue and I think the real importance is I don’t feel safe leaving my shop.
“I cannot sleep; that’s the real impact. We have a household of seven children we work hard to provide for, and this is the only source of income.”
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A Cambridgeshire police spokesperson said no arrests have been made and an investigation is taking place.
“We were called at 10.35pm on Friday with reports of a burglary in Union Street, Wisbech,” they said.
“Officers, including those trained in forensics, attended the scene and electrical items and cash were stolen during the burglary.”
Mr Woodward, whose partner Leah mainly looks after the Wisbech shop, said he has not had an incident like this since opening the Fenland store in November last year.
But despite receiving support from customers soon after he reopened, Mr Woodward is concerned whether he is able to develop his business in future.
“Those people wanted to break into my shop and it’s insecure to leave those premises because of what they might do to my staff,” he said.
“We have put our lives into this business and for 18 months, we’ve fought through Covid which at times, has been extremely hard.
“It’s the emotional and mental damage they have left behind; I don’t know if I can move on from this.”
Anyone with more information is urged to contact police via their web chat service at: https://bit.ly/3vsiYDw, or online at https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/Report quoting 35/31301/21.
Anyone without internet access should call 101.
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