One of UK's 'coolest neighbourhoods' blighted by crimewave

It was recently voted the third coolest place to live in the UK and has become a hub of coffee spots, wine delis and cafes, but a spate of break-ins in a popular Cardiff suburb has left several businesses "fearful".

Walking along Cowbridge Road East in Canton, home to a booming brunch scene, you cannot help but notice the array of boarded up windows.

The BBC has spoken to 12 businesses in the area that have been victim to break-ins and attempted break-ins, with some saying criminals have "no fear" of police and not enough is being done to protect the community.

South Wales Police believes one or two people are responsible and said officers were "working hard to put a stop to the recent rise of commercial burglaries".

We spoke to six businesses on the same street that have all been broken into or had attempted break-ins, as well as a further six on neighbouring streets that experienced the same.

One of those is Pepe Aristizabal, owner of Pepe Cactus in Corp Market on Cowbridge Road East.

Pepe Cactus in Corp Market, Cowbridge Road East, has been broken into several times in the past year, its owner said

From his computer being stolen from inside his store, to plants being taken from outside, Pepe is worried about theft now more than ever.

The most recent attempted break-in saw someone smash through the store window in November.

They didn't steal anything but the cost to replace the window was about £200, a "large cost for a small business owner".

Pepe Aristizabal, owner of a plant store in Corp Market, says "people don't respect" his business

Experts at Time Out ranked Canton third coolest in September behind Digbeth, Birmingham, and Camberwell, London, which took the top spot.

Described as a thriving neighbourhood, Canton was rated for its selection of shops and cafes "which are well worth the amble out of town".

But crime is not a new issue for traders in the area and the recent spate follows a dispersal order being granted in June after 123 crimes were reported in just one month.

This number increased in September to 128 crimes and BBC Wales has asked South Wales Police to provide the latest figures, but has not yet received them.

Pepe has run the plant store for four years and "works every day to do his best".

Despite this, he said: "People don't respect the business. The police don't care."

He added he was yet to see anyone convicted for the crimes at his store.

Stefano's (left) and Table Top Emporium (right) were both hit during the crime spree and had to pay for the damages

"These people aren't scared of CCTV, they aren't scared of alarms, they aren't scared of the police," said Tomos Roberts, owner of Canna Deli in Pontcanna Mews.

Nine burglaries were reported across Canton and Pontcanna in one week in November, according to police.

Canna Deli was broken into on 16 November and a £70 float was stolen from the till, but the damages to the window will cost £400-£500 and is not covered in his insurance excess.

Tomos believes there are not enough consequence for petty crimes: "It's a bigger problem than just my door, it's houses, it's cars, it's businesses.

"I can name 15 businesses they have done this to in the past month and there is no fear of being caught, so they are just going to carry on until they get caught I guess, but who knows when that will happen."

Tomos, who has worked at Canna Deli for nine years and owned it for the past three, described the break-in as "gutting" and said he had never experienced so much crime.

"Enough isn't being done," said Tomos and while he admitted he did not know what the solution was, he said police presence was "lacking" in the area.

"It's one of those, they know they're going to get away with it," he said.

"The door will be fixed, but for how long, when will it happen next?"

Canna Deli's business owner, Tomos Richards, says the cost to replace the window will be about £500, much more than the £70 stolen from the till

There has been a downward trend in the amount of victim-based offences resulting in a charge or summons across England and Wales, according to UK government data.

It dropped from 11.1% in 2016 to 6.3% in 2024-25.

The average time it takes for a shoplifting case to be dealt with from offence to completion in a magistrates' court has also risen by more than 80% in the past 10 years – from 32 days in 2014 to 59 days in 2024.

Katie Bishop from Goji Hair salon, Pontcanna, says her clients are scared to leave their homes in the dark at the moment

"I know a lot of clients won't go out on their own now it's getting dark early," says Katie Bishop, 30, a salon co-ordinator at Goji Hair in Pontcanna.

The salon experienced two break-ins within seven days, with the most recent incident on 12 November, but she said the spike in burglaries started about three weeks ago.

The thieves didn't take anything as there was nothing in the till, said Katie, but the salon had to turn down clients while they cleared up the damage and boarded the windows.

She said the community felt very worried as "a lot" of the salon's clients have had their cars broken into, as well as some having theirs stolen.

"It's beautiful around here but unfortunately you've got these problems at the moment," she said.

Popular coffee shop Bloc, Victoria Park, said it would cost more than £500 to replace their glass door window

Elliot, 28, owner of Bloc coffee shop in Victoria Park, Canton, said his business has had about four unsuccessful burglary attempts in the past three years.

The most recent attempt was during the spate in early November and Elliot, who has installed a smash-proof glass door costing more than £500, said some criminal activity was to be expected with running a business.

"There are a lot of benefits to having a lot of people around, and this is one of the down sides," he said.

Stephen Cunnah, Canton councillor, said the break-ins were "devastating" for independent businesses in the area who "pour their heart and soul" into their work.

"Speaking to residents, you would expect a quicker [police] response... but police officers look after Canton the best they can," he said.

"On the other side of the coin, Canton is a lovely place to live. I've been a councillor for eight years and I have seen the occasional spikes in residential and commercial crime over those years.

"It tends to be an individual on a spree and will take police months or weeks to get to the bottom of it. Hopefully they sort it soon."

Elliot, 28, owner of Bloc coffee shop in Victoria Park, Canton, says break-ins are the "reality of business"

South Wales Police said investigations into the burglaries were under way and that officers were reviewing forensic opportunities, speaking to witnesses and reviewing CCTV to identify and arrest those responsible.

Ch Insp Stuart McDean said: "We believe that one or two people are responsible because of the similarities in the offences.

"Being a victim of burglary, whether it's your home, your business, or where you work is a traumatic experience.

"We would ask people to be vigilant of anyone seen hanging around businesses or retail premises during the early hours of the morning."