Three Cambridge restaurants burgled over the Christmas and new year period
Three independent restaurants in Cambridge were burgled over the Christmas and new year period, and the owner of one of them – Galleria, located on Bridge Street – has been left frustrated by the police response.
Aamir Malik, who co-owns Galleria with his uncle (it has been run by members of his family since 1963), told the Cambridge Independent that his restaurant was broken into on Boxing Day and that it was the third time this year.
He said: “Since May, we’ve been burgled three times, by the same guy – we have CCTV footage. We contacted the police the first time, the second time and now the third time and on all occasions they haven’t got back to me with anything.”
Aamir believes the burglar or burglars have been responsible for several break-ins along Mill Road. The latest to be hit was Hong Kong Fusion, on St John’s Street, which suffered two break-ins over the Christmas period, one on Boxing Day and one sometime between the night of January 1 and the early morning of January 2.
Andy Tse, owner of Hong Kong Fusion, says the most recent burglary was the third time his establishment has been burgled in six months. He added: “I’ve reported both [recent] incidents to the police, and I know that there’s been other shops that have been targeted within the same period.
“I actually spent my Christmas out on the street giving meals to homeless people, and then returned to the restaurant the next day with this kind of news, so it’s really upsetting.”
The other restaurant that suffered a break-in on December 25 was Thanh Binh on Magdalene Street. Owner Thu Hoang was called shortly after midnight on Christmas Day and had to cancel Christmas dinner at the restaurant for family and staff.
Cambridgeshire police confirmed they had been called at around 1am on December 25 with reports of a burglary at an address in Magdalene Street. Security advice was given to the owner of the property and a crime raised for burglary.
The investigation is ongoing and includes CCTV inquiries. Anyone who has any information is urged to contact police via their web chat service quoting crime reference 35/93146/22, or call 101.
The police also confirmed they had received a report of a burglary at Galleria, believed to have taken place between 9pm on December 24 and 10am on December 28. They say an investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing, which includes exploring any forensic opportunities and possible CCTV. Anyone who has any information is urged to contact police quoting crime reference 35/93667/22.
Finally, police also confirmed reports of a burglary at an address in St John’s Street, Cambridge, believed to have taken place between 11pm on January 1 and 9am on January 2. Anyone with information is urged to contact police quoting crime reference 35/334/23.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Kevin Misik said: “We are reviewing these incidents carefully and looking at any possible trends. We are also working closely with partner agencies to identify further investigative opportunities, such as CCTV footage, etc.”
