Nearby Northampton shops hit by six burglaries in a week

Most Marvellous' cracked safe. Over 600 was taken, as well as 12 knives from the kitchen.

In almost every incident, the thief broke in through the back door, ransacked the shop and left within three minutes.

And on another street, a shop’s safe was cracked using a hammer and a cleaver over the course of three hours.

Cash and tablet computers were targeted at the six burgled shops, as well as vodka bottles and sweets.

Neighbouring cafes The Magic Bean emporium and Chata, on St Giles Street, were both burgled on the night of February 6. Tablet computers and cash was taken from both.

The five shops on St Giles Street all have a fire door in the basement which backs out onto a car park.

Barbarella’s hair salon was broken into on the night of February 5.

Owner Helen Barber said: “We came in on Monday and couldn’t find the iPad. When we went downstairs the fire door was swinging open. It looked like someone had taken a crowbar to it.

“The CCTV shows a man getting in, opening the till, stealing the iPad and leaving within three minutes.”

Barbarella, also on St Giles Street, was broken into on the night of February 5.

Magic Bean Emporium coffee shop was broken into on the night of 6 February.

Michella Dos Santos, owner of Magic Bean, said: “My staff called me on Tuesday morning to say ‘we’ve been robbed.’ Things had been knocked off shelves and the till’s tablet was gone.

“The fire door was kicked in at the bottom panel.”

The owners of Chaka, a Polish restaurant, also arrived on Tuesday morning to find they had been burgled the night before, the same night as Magic Bean.

Arthur Skrzypek, who works at Chaka, said: “We found they had got in through the backdoor by kicking it in at the bottom.

“We didn’t have much money on site, but they stole four vodka bottles.

“They must have been to the shop before. They knew where to find the tablet we play the music from.

“If someone goes downstairs to use the toilet they would have seen the unsecured fire door.”

The shops on St Giles are all accessible by fire doors at the back.

Neighbouring Turkish restaurant Pamukkale and Chinese Restaurant Imperial were also reportedly burgled during the week.

On Kettering Road, Most Marvelous had its safe emptied on the night of February 1.

The thief collected a hammer, a cleaver and a knife from around the store before cracking open the safe over the course of three hours.

Over Â£600 was stolen, as well as 12 knives from the kitchen and several tins of mints.

Gillian Burgess, owner of Most Marvelous, said: “The safe was lying on the floor empty and his tools were lying nearby. I recognised them from around the shop.

“He almost looks like he’s shopping on the CCTV, just going from shelf to shelf.”

At Most Marvellous, on Ketteting Road, a thief used a hammer, a cleaver and a knife, taken from around the shop, to break into the safe. He left them behind.

“When I arrived I thought he was still in the shop. A customer was very kind and searched for me to make sure he was gone.

“What’s funny is these three mannequins we have standing downstairs had been knocked down too. I think they gave him a jump.”

“I think the same person is targeting Northampton’s shops. He must have nothing better to do with his time.”

Northamptonshire Police said: “There were a number of reported burglaries in Northampton town centre over the past few weeks. These have included burglaries at Chaka restaurant and Magic Bean on St Giles Street on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7. An investigation is underway.

"Witnesses or anyone with information about these incidents can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555."