Bexhill seafront kiosk owners' heartbreak after thieves break into family-run business and steal charity cash
Owners of a seafront kiosk in Bexhill have been left counting the cost after thieves broke in and stole cash, as well as money from charity boxes.
Karen Brennan-Wright said the break-in caused hundreds of pounds of damage to the Old Bathing Station Kiosk in De La Warr Parade.
She discovered the break-in on October 15 and the business had to remain closed for two days as a result.
Karen said the incident happened sometime between Wednesday night last week (October 14) and the following day.
She said: “It was mainly cash that was taken and the charity boxes were emptied. They tried to break into the safe but were unsuccessful.
“It wasn't so much what was taken, which was around £300, it was the damage that was caused. It cost us £425 to get locksmiths in to secure the place.
“It's unbelievable that they emptied the charity boxes, which were for Macmillan and St Michael's Hospice.
“It's heart-breaking, as we're a family-run business, and we had to remain shut as a result of the burglary. We're a small business giving Bexhill people somewhere to meet and communicate.
“We've been targeted around four or five times over the last five or six years.”
Stella Brennan-Wright, Karen's mother, owns the Old Bathing Station Kiosk and bought it in 2002.
In May 2024 she held a charity concert to mark her 21 years of trade and to raise money for charities Demelza, St Michael's Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Sussex Police has been approached for a statement.