Spate of burglaries 'rocks the whole community'

Lee Barron MP (second from left) and Insp Miriam Kiernan (third from left) went on walkabout in Raunds

A town has called for action after a spate of burglaries of shops, takeaway outlets and churches.

There have been 21 burglaries of commercial premises in Raunds, Northamptonshire, so far this year, more than double the figure for the whole of 2023.

The local MP said the community needs more visible policing.

The police said resources were stretched but officers have good local links to help identify offenders.

The burglary of the Kindness Shop was caught on CCTV

It seems no premises, no matter what contribution they make to community life in Raunds, were safe from the burglars.

The Kindness Shop, a charity that supports local families, suffered a break-in last month.

Susannah French, the chief executive of Start Over with Kindness, said: "It's rocked the whole community and, for those of us that have been broken into, it's that initial feeling when you first come into the premises in the morning, you find yourself looking at the doors and looking at the windows."

Volunteers at the Kindness Shop with Susannah French (right) sort items for sale

The Blue Fish Bar in the town had up to £2,000 of its fish and chip takings stolen.

The owner, Omer Aydin, is not just worried about the loss of income, he is also concerned about the effect on insurance payments.

He said: "We're paying now about £1,000, next couple of years it's £2,000, maybe £3,000, maybe we can't pay."

Omer Aydin at the Blue Fish Bar is worried about an increase in his insurance premiums following a cash theft

Raunds Methodist Church has put in a lot of effort into a refurbishment so it could offer learning, care and service to the town.

Someone who did not share their vision helped themselves to a new television from the building.

Carol Wilson from the church said she was "furious that they came [and] upset, because it took us an absolute age to raise money for the refurbishment of the church and that facility, and we're doing this for the community."

Carol Wilson says she is furious and upset about the break-in at the Methodist Church

Lee Barron, the Labour MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, walked round the town with the police to see the situation for himself.

He said: "What we want to see now is some visibility so the community is given some confidence in terms of local policing.

"Not only that, we need to see results.

"Somebody is responsible for this, we need to find out who they are and they need to face the full consequences of their actions."

Miriam Kiernan, Northamptonshire Police's neighbourhood inspector, said: "Resources are stretched in every department and every police force and every other agency across the country.

"We have our officers from the neighbourhood team that have got really good local links and are aware of some of the more regular faces that might be causing problems in the area, so we will be able to identify people."