ROOFTOP RAIDERS
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
POLICE are hunting the masterminds behind a Mission Impossible style heist which saw daring thieves break into a Newry shopping arcade through its roof - and treat themselves to some top quality sirloins before exiting the way they'd come in.
Speaking to the Democrat after the bizarre burglary, which happened in the dark of night between Wednesday and Thursday, the owner of the butcher's in the Monaghan Street based arcade said the thieves clearly came fully equipped and prepared for their pre-planned pilferage.
“They must have done it in the middle of the night, someone would have noticed otherwise," the popular businessman, who preferred not to be named, said.
“ When I came in as usual on Thursday there was glass everywhere, so I knew straight away that something was wrong."
Tracing the glass to a neighbouring dry-cleaners, the door of which had been smashed in, he immediately searched his own premises for signs of a break-in but, despite noticing both meat and the Mission Box missing, the bewildered butcher could find no point of entry. Ruling out all alternatives, he soon realised there was only one other way the criminals could have come in.
“There's two floors, although the business is only based on the ground floor, so we took a look upstairs. Sure enough, they'd obviously come through the roof. They'd used saws to cut through and remove the slates, making a hole and lowering themselves down through it," the owner explained.
“They caused some amount of damage, especially in the dry cleaners - there was blood and glass everywhere. They didn't get an awful lot - but the charity money, that could have been used for good.
“They took meat as well and they were good to themselves too - they didn't take any old stewing meat, they took good sirloins."
Although annoyed by the break-in, the traders have carried on undeterred by their unwelcome visitors and it's business as usual at the arcade.
“Sure what else can you do? It's annoying surely but sure it happens," the butcher said.
“I'm in this business 30 years now, something like this won't stop me trading."
The Democrat contacted the dry cleaners but the owner was unavailable at the time of going to press.
Police in Newry are appealing for information about the break-in, which they say happened between 6.10pm on Wednesday, January 11 and 7.30am on Thursday, January 12.
They can be contacted on 0845 600 8000 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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