Community hub damaged by thieves during burglary

Essex Police says its inquiries into the burglary in Basildon continue

A community hub that struggling families relied on was left facing a £1,700 repair bill after thieves broke into the property.

Maz Salih, the owner of Mother's Kitchen, said he was "lost for words" when he saw the damage to his business in Basildon, Essex.

He said paying to fix his broken property would take vital funds away from creating food parcels for those in need.

Essex Police said its inquiries into the burglary, which was reported on 24 September, were continuing.

Mr Salih said Mother's Kitchen, in Felmores End, had a cafe but also doubled up as a warm and safety hub for the community.

The burglary had "knocked us back from what we want to do", he said, adding that a hot dog machine was taken after the back door was damaged.

Mr Salih said Mother's Kitchen had a cafe but also doubled up as a warm and safety hub for the community

"We watched the whole thing back on camera and we were shocked and we were hurt," Mr Salih said.

"If they had just came and asked us for help we would’ve done that for them."

The break-in was the second time Mother's Kitchen had been targeted this year.

In May, more than £5,000 of damage was caused when burglars smashed in and raided the cafe's freezers.

Mr Salih, who once spent six months homeless, said he was "disheartened" to later find the perpetrator was the father of a child using the hub's youth club service.

"We were hurt, we felt disappointed, anxious and yes, we have a business, but that doesn’t mean we’re financially well off," he added.

Mr Salih's brother, Ozzy, has helped to prepare food parcels for those in need

The business owner said he was "so proud" of his hub, which was named after his mother and had her picture on the front.

"It's given hope to an area where there wasn't any before," he continued.

"Now we've got Christmas two months away and we're thinking about how we're going to get everything back in time."