A specialist food shop and café has suffered two break-ins in two nights – as the spate of raids on York stores continues.
Love Cheese on Gillygate has been hit on successive nights, with windows smashed each time.
Owner Jordan Thomson came in yesterday morning (Monday) to discover the first robbery.
Thieves had smashed a side window to get in, and stole all the cash on the premises.
Jordan described that as “gutting” – but worse was to come.
He told YorkMix: “I came in today with the purpose of repairing any damage just to find out that we’ve actually been broken into again for the second time in 48 hours.”
In the first raid, “they managed to break into both tills and into the safe, taken all the cash – including all the staff tips, which is frustrating for everyone. I feel like everyone’s pretty low at the minute.
“Then they broke in again last night. I don’t know if it’s the same people or not – police are obviously looking into it – and this time they’ve taken the empty till that was emptied the night before.”
When he arrived to hear the alarm going off again today, he thought “it can’t happen twice it’s just not possible – but apparently it is. Apparently it happens far more often than than you think, the police are saying.”
The shop has reopened but the ‘hidden’ Speakcheesy café at the back is closed – hopefully it may reopen by the weekend.
Spate of robberies
Jordan said he was “deflated” by the crimes.
He said: “It’s a quiet time of the year for retail anyway post-Christmas, then to have to fork out for now two window repairs…”
No cheese or wine was taken. Jordan speculated that the publicity after a break in at York Gin – where a thief smashed the front window to steal bottles of ‘gin’ that actually contained water – may have deterred the robbers from taking the wine on display at Love Cheese.
Jordan, who took over at Love Cheese in November 2022, is now considering whether he stops taking cash at all – “because it’s just leaving us as a target”.
Police investigators been to examine the first crime scene, including dusting for fingerprints. They are due to return today to look for evidence from the second crime scene.
Businesses in York have suffered a spate of break-ins in recent weeks. As well as the one at York Gin, YorkMix has reported on burglaries on Burton Stone Lane.
And Jordan said his neighbouring businesses have been hit too. The Mamma Mia restaurant next door was broken into in December, and a hairdressers on the street was also targeted.
Two weeks ago, thieves smashed in the front door of Sore Thumb Retro Games across the road from Love Cheese on Gillygate.
Jordan posted about the Sunday night break-in on Facebook and said he had received a lot of support from the likes of Indie York and Ben Thorpe from York On A Fork.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We’re investigating two burglaries which have occurred at Love Cheese on Gillygate in York.
“It’s believed that the first occurred at approximately 3am on Sunday 25th February 2024. Today (Tuesday 27 February 2024) we received a second report of a burglary from the same business.
“On both occasions a window was smashed to gain entry and money was removed from the till.”
Police would like anyone with information to call them on 101.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote reference number 12240034996 (first incident) / 12240035599 (second incident).