Cafe owner overwhelmed by support after break-in

A person armed with a brick successfully broke into the cafe after several attempts, owner Caty Jones said

The owner of a tea room that was broken into said she's "overwhelmed" by the support she's had from her local community.

CCTV showed a person throwing a brick into the window of K Teas Cakes in Wolverhampton on Friday night and looking for cash before fleeing with just a bowl of coppers, owner Caty Jones said.

She said glass shattered everywhere inside and out but she praised the response from police, the council and her customers.

"I'm just a little tea room that makes cakes... but I've been overwhelmed by the support I've had from people over this," she said.

Ms Jones said she was alerted to the break-in by the alarm going off at the cafe just after 22:30 BST on Friday.

By the time she arrived, she said officers from West Midlands Police were already there checking over the building and seeing if the thief was still inside.

There was no money left in the till but Ms Jones said she had a "pay it forward" bowl on the counter, mainly of copper coins that people have donated, which was taken.

Broken glass was all over the floor inside the tea room, Ms Jones said

CCTV showed a person carrying a brick in a bag and attempting to gain entry by smashing a window of toughened glass, she said.

"There was glass everywhere," she said. "It was such a mess.

"They could have wrecked the place though and in a way I am grateful - which sounds odd - but it could have been so much worse.

But she said she was "really sad and disappointed that somebody would do that - to come out prepared.

"It's sad somebody thinks that's OK."

She said she managed to clean up and open as normal on Saturday after the city council street cleaners helped remove the glass outside the cafe.

In April, the tea room was labelled "the worst place ever" in a TripAdvisor review, but Ms Jones said the negative message led to more customers and more positive reviews.

She said although the break-in was another negative, she has been heartened by the community response which has helped her dismiss any thoughts of giving up the business.

"All these negatives are turning into positives," she added.

"It's the community pulling together and it's amazing.

"It's showed me how much they appreciate my cafe and need it."

In a statement, West Midlands Police said asked anyone with information to contact the force.

"We are investigating after money was stolen during a burglary at a cafe in Wolverhampton.

"Between 10pm and 11pm on 14 June, windows were smashed at the shop on Tempest Street, with cash stolen from inside."