Shops in Leighton Buzzard targeted by cash register raids

Leighton Buzzard businesses have been hit by a mini crime wave after more shops were broken into over the Bank Holiday weekend.

After a raid on a cafe last week, thieves broke into Raffaela Hair Salon and Ocean Fish chip shop at the weekend, breaking windows and stealing cash registers.

In a post on social media, Raffaela said it was closed after the break in in the early hours of Tuesday, to allow forensics to be carried out.

And the Ocean Fish Bar on North Street was broken into on Sunday morning.

Bianco Nero on High Street was broken into in the early hours of Sunday last week with the cash register being stolen. Owner Dino shared CCTV footage of a lone hooded man loitering outside before smashing the door, and crawling through the hole to grab the cash register and escaping on a bike.

A spokesman for Beds Police said: “Officers are investigating a series of business break-ins in and around Leighton Buzzard over the bank holiday weekend.

“A number of small commercial units were targeted in North Street and High Street and are believed to be linked, with CCTV showing a person on a bike gaining entry through smashing the doors of the property and making off with the cash register. Initial CCTV investigation suggests those responsible may be a team of three.

“Community officers have been engaging with local businesses in and around the town centre today and collecting CCTV to assist in capturing evidence.

“This type of offending has a huge impact on the small local businesses that are so important to our community and we understand the frustration felt amongst the owners and local residents.

“Officers are pursing lines of enquiry and anyone with information on these incidents or has witnessed any suspicious activity is asked to report online at beds.police.uk.

"A further break-in at Mead Open Farm in Stanbridge is also being investigated after TVs, audio equipment, a zorbing pool and zorbs were stolen from the site which had been offering the attraction over the school holiday period. It isn’t believed that this offence is linked to the town centre incidents.”

However, police do not think the Mead Open Farm theft is linked to the break-ins.