Second break-in at Headley community shop in four days
Shop again closed with police cordon
A Headley community shop was again closed this morning (Thursday) after the second break-in to hit the premises within four days.
Details of the second break-in at the shop and Post Office in Thornford Road are awaited, but staff at the shop confirmed the latest incident occurred during the early hours of this morning, (Thursday) at around 2.30am.
The shop is currently closed, with the entrance cordoned off by police.
The closure follows a break-in at the same shop on Monday evening (Oct 19), after masked burglars forced the door, before fleeing empty handed.
Monday’s burglary, which also resulted in a police cordon at the entrance, was the first at the shop and post office, which opened eight years ago in a converted chapel in Thornford Road. It is staffed mainly by volunteers.
The chairman of the Headley Community Shop Association, Richard Bayly, said the first incident happened at around 7.20pm on Monday, when staff had gone home. The raid was captured on CCTV.
“Two men forced the door, the alarm went off and they did a runner. All they did was make a mess,” said Mr Bayly, who confirmed that nothing was taken from the shop.
“They pulled files off the shelves in the back office and they certainly went in the till, but there was nothing in it.”
Hampshire police were called at 7.15pm on Monday evening and said the door was forced open with a crowbar by men wearing hoodies and scarves, or masks, and gloves, who then ran off in the direction of the Thornford Road/Ashford Hill crossroads.
CCTV footage was handed in to police, who were, according to Mr Bayly, “Very good and here very, very quickly”.
The shop was taped off by police while forensic evidence was gathered.
The shop then reopened at around 11am on Tuesday (October 20), when it was business as usual, said Mr Bayly, adding that the ‘hassle factor’ had been the volunteers’ main concern.
“Because it’s a community shop, they are effectively robbing the community,” he said.
Security measures have since been further re-inforced.
Anyone with information should contact investigating officer Pc Colin Jackson, of Basingstoke police, on the non emergency telephone number, 101, quoting reference 44150363783.
