Chichester business break-in will have ‘catastrophic’ impact, says owner

A business owner said thieves broke into his waste tyre disposal firm in Chichester at the weekend, stealing around £20,000 worth of items and leaving an ‘absolute mess’ in their wake.
The unit in Terminus Road, ChichesterThe unit in Terminus Road, Chichester
The unit in Terminus Road, Chichester

Dan Tarrant, owner of the WTD Group in Terminus Road, Chichester, said the incident was ‘gut-wrenching’.

He was alerted to the situation on Monday, after a neighbour got in touch to say the back door of the business unit was open.

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Mr Tarrant said CCTV footage from a nearby unit showed intruders in the tyre yard in the early hours of Saturday morning.

This bike was among the items stolenThis bike was among the items stolen
This bike was among the items stolen

At the site, he found ‘thousands and thousands of pounds worth of items’ had been stolen – including computers, a bike and a TV which had been ‘wrenched off the wall’.

Even two charity boxes, which had been raising funds for the Children’s Air Ambulance and Bliss, were taken, he said.

They turned the whole place upside down,” he said. “There was paperwork everywhere, files everywhere. They made an absolute mess.”

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Mr Tarrant estimates that around £20,000 worth of goods were stolen.

He said the business had already lost ‘a significant amount of revenue’ due to the lockdown, which forced them to close intermittently.

“It’s pretty gut-wrenching,” he said. “Ultimately the impact it’s going to have is catastrophic.”

Sussex Police has been approached for a comment.

Anyone with information, contact police on 101 or visit www.sussexpolice.co.uk/

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