Pubs and football ground hit in spate of break-ins
One break-in was captured on CCTV at The Wrestlers pub
- Published
Business owners said they were "upset" and "annoyed" after several pubs and Cambridge United's supporters' club were hit by a spate of break-ins during the last couple of weeks.
Three venues near the River Cam in Cambridge said food and drink had been taken and parts of their businesses were damaged, with intruders captured on CCTV.
Aston Wilderspin, who lives with his young son above one of the family-owned pubs, said he could not sleep at night for fear of a third break-in.
Police said they were investigating raids at Cambridge United, The Green Dragon, The Wrestlers and Engineers' House.
The locks on a gate at the back of the Wrestlers pub were broken
Engineers' House, on the Riverside, said it had been targeted three times in two weeks.
Sam Calverley, 41, a business owner at Calverley's Brewery, said during the first raid about £100 worth of drinks and cheese was taken.
"At that point we're a bit annoyed, but they hadn't actually done any damage as such... we just thought somebody was taking their chances.
"They then came back a second and third time... leaving with nothing of particular resale value... but it costs us a lot to replace."
On the second break-in a bin was "piled up with various bottles" and taken. On the third occasion, Mr Calverley said smashed bottles were found near the pub.
He added: "We have been upset and annoyed by it. It's surprising how much time it takes dealing with the after-effects of a break-in. It seems like all I've been doing this week is dealing with the robberies."
Mr Calverley estimated about £900 worth of stock was taken in total, and additional costs would include repairing fridges and installing further security measures.
'I tried to stay awake'
Mr Wilderspin, 37, said about £200 worth of items were taken from his family pub.
"It's not about the stuff, it's about my stress. I can't sleep at night, especially when I have a one-year-old son," he said.
"I don't know when they are going to come back and I'm waking up to check the cameras in the house.
"After the first time I tried to stay awake... when I woke up I saw our camera had been turned to face the wall and they had broken in again."
Engineers' House said it was glad police were taking the raids seriously due to the "frequency" of incidents
A spokesperson from another pub said their site had also been raided twice on the same week.
They said they were concerned about a "lack of police presence" after hearing about similar incidents.
A Cambridge United spokesman told the BBC the Abbey Lounge was targeted.
There was very little damage, not much was taken and the supporters' club did not want to comment.
Cambridgeshire Police said it was investigating.
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- Published4 April
