Thieves wreck Bexhill cafe and attack seafront kiosk

The attack took place on Friday night. The thieves used shopping trolleys, they had taken from Sainsburys supermarket to load the stolen goods in. The empty till was later found on the beach.

They also tried to force their way into the Bexhill Bathing Station kiosk on the seafront but were unsuccessful.

Steph Stockton, who runs the Sovereign Light Cafe, said: “They obviously came armed with heavy tools. They prised up the shutters then broke the window frame and smashed the window.”

The cafe was forced to close on Saturday to repair the damage, but is back up and running now. Steph said: “It is disheartening and you feel violated. But you just have to carry on. We couldn’t open on the Saturday and also had to clear smashed glass they had left on the beach, as people walk their dogs there.”

Stella Brennan-Wright, who runs the Bathing Station kiosk with her daughter, said: “We have a very solid door. They did not get in, but wrecked the hinges. They were obviously very determined.”

Thieves broke into the kiosk last year, causing extensive damage and stealing £80 – £100 from a charity jar in aid of the Ukraine crisis.

Stella said: “It’s getting to be a pain. I take the charity boxes home with me in the evening now.”

Both businesses plan to appeal to the council to ask for more security cameras to be installed on the seafront.

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