Shops in an affluent Cardiff neighbourhood have suffered a string of break-in attempts. The latest Pontcanna burglary saw a concrete slab used to smash a Co-operative store's windowfront before lottery scratchcards were stolen.
Two independent traders in Pontcanna told WalesOnline they have also recently been targeted. And cash was stolen from two businesses in neighbouring areas on the same night the Pontcanna Street Co-op was hit.
A South Wales Police spokesman said "thieves forced entry" to the Co-op at around 1.30am on Tuesday and took scratchcards. Around £100 was stolen that night from the till of a restaurant in Clare Road, Grangetown, and £20 from a shop in Tudor Lane, Riverside.
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Gwenno Davies moved her fashion boutique Kiti to Pontcanna Street in September after almost eight years in Pontcanna Mews. An attempted break-in took place at around 5am on Sunday, November 20, damaging the door although entry was not gained.
Ms Davies, 51, said: "I don't think it was a professional. I think it was a chancer. They battered the door and because the padlock was so strong they gave up."
The door came loose on its hinges so a Co-op worker put a trolley in front when she saw what had happened. "There was no cost to repair the door because a really lovely builder came in with a drill," said Ms Davies. She added she has spent around £1,500 on new security measures.
Kiti employee Saran Morgan, 27, said: "We had the extra protection of a big gate when we were in the mews so being in the high street is new to us. We're close to the city centre and people know there are really successful businesses here.
"There's nothing on site overnight but it would just have been heartbreaking if we'd opened in September and something serious had happened so soon. We spent so long trying to make it the loveliest place possible. We're very lucky to have padlocks and cameras."
Pontcanna was recently named on The Telegraph's list of the 15 coolest neighbourhoods in the UK. Ms Davies believes there is a strong community spirit among local traders who share information on burglary attempts. Despite recent incidents she believes the problem is not as severe as around three years ago when businesses including Heaney's restaurant and Brod bakery were targeted.
Andrew Minns, who has run Brava in Pontcanna Street since 2000, said there was an attempted break-in about eight weeks ago at the restaurant. At around 6am on a weekday the culprit tried to break down the front door before climbing the rear wall and smashing the glass of the back door without managing to get in. Mr Minns, 52, has since replaced the glass with steel.
He said burglaries have been attempted at Brava at an average rate of once a year over the last two decades though nothing of high value has ever been taken. "Going back 10 years ago it was more targeted because more businesses carried cash. About 90% of our business is done on card. My view is the people who break into our place now are on drink or drugs or a mixture because any sensible criminal knows there is nothing worth breaking in for. What's harder for us is the damage over the years."
Mr Minns thinks those behind the Co-op burglary are likely to be more sophisticated operators than those involved in the Brava incidents. He believes Pontcanna may draw criminals because of its reputation as a thriving shopping area but added: "I've never felt unsafe. It's not like you lock your doors every night and think: 'What will come?'"
Police say inquiries, including CCTV, are ongoing to identify the culprits in Tuesday's offences. A force spokesman said: "Anyone with any information which could assist the investigation is asked to contact South Wales Police via this link or 101 quoting occurrence 2200431099. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111."
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