Thieves have broken into a shop in Sutton Coldfield, causing extensive damage and stealing items in an overnight burglary. The incident occurred at Love Laundry and Dry Cleaning on Hill Village Road in Mere Green during the early hours of Saturday, May 9.
The burglars used a crowbar to force open the front door at around 2am, then ransacked the premises. They stole a bag of designer clothing contained in a Louboutin bag, change from the till, and, oddly, washing pods. The shop, which had only been open for six months, is run by Minni Parkes and her mother.
Minni Parkes told BirminghamLive: "It was in the early hours of Saturday morning, about 2am. They used a crowbar to open the front doors. They are all smashed now. They have got in and trashed the place a little bit."
She added: "They took a bit of change and a customer had brought in a shopping bag with designer clothes. And keys for the rooms. They took washing pods as well. We were shut until forensics came but did open on Saturday."
The shop posted a message on Facebook thanking customers for their patience, stating: "We are pleased to let everyone know that we are still open and operating as normal following the break-in early last weekend. We would like to thank all of our customers for their patience, support, and kind messages. Business is continuing as usual, and we look forward to welcoming you back into the shop. Thank you again for your understanding and continued support."
Minni believes four burglars were involved, and noted that the damage caused was as problematic as the theft. She said: "It's not very nice, people being in here going through everything. We have only been open six months. They took the bag from behind the till. It had not long been dropped off. The customer was OK about it. My mum has worked in dry cleaning and we have opened the shop together. We hope someone will come forward and the people can be found."
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "We're appealing for information following a burglary of a premises on Hill Village Road, Sutton Coldfield, where a quantity of cash was taken. The premises were broken into shortly after 2.30am on 9 May. Anyone with any information should ring us on 101 quoting crime number 20/242103/26. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."
