A BURGLARY was reported at a café in Penarth, where several drinks were taken.

CCTV footage of an incident which took place at 11.15pm on Wednesday, August 14, when two men broke into Wilmores café, has been released.

Matt Holland, the owner, stated that the thieves caused significant damage to the café while stealing cold drinks.

The robbers tore apart the shelter surrounding the café, resulting in £500 in repair costs.

This wasn’t the first theft Wilmores say they have experienced. Over the past six months, they have witnessed five such incidents across their three branches in Penarth.

Damage to the café, resulting in 500 pounds in repair costs.Damage to the café, resulting in 500 pounds in repair costs. (Image: Willmore Café)

Matt, the owner of Willmore Café, mentioned that this has been a widespread issue in the area, with many businesses becoming targets of vandalism and theft.

Matt says this trend has made it particularly challenging for smaller businesses to survive.

"The hospitality business is hard at the moment, with a lot of shops closing around us," he explained.

The popular café was forced to relocate and start again at a new location in 2022. Just as they were beginning to find their footing, these setbacks have been particularly painful.

"We’re working really hard, and incidents like this cause a lot of emotional and financial distress," Matt added.

Broken lockBroken lock (Image: Willmore Café)

Broken lockBroken lock (Image: Willmore Café)

Matt noted that smaller expenses like these often cannot be claimed through insurance, forcing the business to bear the costs.

“The café, isolated on the sides and lacking street lights in the area, becomes an easy target for thieves, said Matt”.

To enhance security, the business has spent £1,000 on installing alarm systems and cameras across their shops. Matt acknowledged that sometimes there is very little that owners can do to prevent such incidents.

Matt and Charlotte HollandMatt and Charlotte Holland (Image: Willmore Café)

Despite the frustration, Matt has decided to move on from the incident, expressing some understanding of why people commit crimes:.

"I’m angry about it at the moment, but I understand that everyone deserves a second chance." said Matt.

"Maybe getting caught is what they need to break this cycle, but we have to move forward."

He emphasised that measures taken by the council, with the help of the police, will hopefully get the situation under control.

The police have stated that the investigation into the incident is ongoing, but no arrests have been made yet.

The CCTV footage of the incident can be seen below.