The owner of the Bike Lock café says he’s on the brink of giving up after three break- ins in four weeks.
Tom Overton runs the social enterprise in the city centre and says the repeated damages and thefts have been a struggle.
Tom says the break-ins follow a pattern, with all three occurring in the early hours of the morning.
A small amount of petty cash was stolen from the café when it was targeted the first time. Since then, no cash has been left there on the site. In the last two instances, nothing has been taken.
Tom has had to pay around £3000, to replace the broken windows and has fitted exterior lights, motion censors and cameras. He had hoped this would protect his business, but less than a week later, the shop was broken into again.
Tom is working with the police to protect the café. The Bike Lock is not the only nearby business that has been attacked. Neighbouring coffee shop Bru was broken into after only being open for two weeks.
Tom says he still can’t sleep because he is constantly worried about it happening again. The community have rallied to support the café, some customers have even given him money to go towards repairs.
He said “the joy of being in a café is that you get hundreds of interactions every day with lovely people.” He values his customers needs and wants them to feel “safe, comfortable and a part of something”.
