Source:
http://www.eastgrins...tail/story.html
Thieves take East Grinstead clothes store's entire stock in overnight raid
THIEVES raided a women's clothes shop in East Grinstead, swiping everything but odd shoes on display.
The London Road shop Popular Girls is the latest business to be ransacked in a spate of town centre break-ins.
The robbers smashed through a door at the back of Popular Girls before stealing all of the shop's stock between 6pm on Monday, April 16, and 11am on Tuesday, April 17.
The owner of the shop, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was shocked to find the store empty on Tuesday morning.
"I was running late to open the shop and I had a customer come up to me in the street and ask if I was moving or closing down and I thought that it was very odd," she said.
"But when I entered the shop it had been completely ransacked – they even took the fitting room curtains.
"I felt shaky, but there is no point in feeling upset. You just have to pick yourself up and carry on."
A 52-year-old man from Forest Row has been arrested on suspicion of burglary. He has been bailed until June 6 pending further enquiries.
The incident follows a £10,000 haul on George Knight jewellers over the Easter weekend and an armed robbery at The East Grinstead Watch Company, High Street, in February.
Intruders also tried to smash their way into Scrivens Opticians, also in London Road, last week, but only made it as far as the metal bars inside the door.
The opticians was targeted on the same night as the raid on Popular Girls.
The head of the town's business association has blamed a lack of police presence for the recent burglaries.
"I am extremely concerned, particularly if you add the one at the watch shop and the jewellery shop.
"It seems East Grinstead is being targeted with the lack of police presence," said Stuart Scholes, chief executive of the East Grinstead Business Association.
"You hardly ever see a police officer in the town. Poplar Girls is a great tragedy – they are a new business and this could be really hard to recover from.
"The shop was in a great position because they sold some great clothing.
"I just want to know what the business rates are being spent on because some of it is supposed to go towards policing."
The East Grinstead Neighbourhood Policing team have leafleted shops in London Road, Ship Street and West Street, appealing for information from witnesses.
Sergeant Graeme Prentice said: "We don't think the incidents are related.
"But shop owners should be aware that the back of their shops is the weakest spot for entering.
"Normally a thief will not enter the building via the front door because that can be seen easily by the public.
"I would urge all businesses to make themselves safer.
"There has been a spate of issues in the town with this sort of thing, but if shop and business owners are extra careful then we can prevent it."
Mr Scholes advised businesses to protect themselves with a working alarm, insurance and make sure no large quantities of cash are stored on the property.
Popular Girls has increased its security and will be reopening on Saturday with a new collection of clothing.