Worthing restaurant targeted by thieves as overnight break-in leaves business counting repair costs

Popular seafood restaurant CrabShack, on Marine Parade, was broken into in the early hours of Thursday morning (April 27).

A window was broken to gain entry and items including bottles of alcohol were reported stolen

A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page, alongside photos of the damage, read: “Not a nice way to start the day. Think someone did it around midnight.”

Co-owner Sarah Tinker-Taylor told SussexWorld that the theft was discovered by a cleaner shortly before 4am.

"We arrived to discover glass all over the pavement and the road,” Sarah said. “It was a double glazed unit. They haven’t climbed through but we had glass shelves across the window with loads of spirits on and they’ve grabbed everything they could.

"There was quite a lot of glass inside, including tiny pieces so we had to throw some of the food away in case any got in there."

Sarah is yet to complete the full calculations but estimates that the business will be set back by at least £3,000 in costs to repair the window, purchase a temporary metal shutter and replace the spirits.

The business owner’s frustration was compounded when it became apparent that one of the CCTV cameras that overlooks the restaurant is broken. Another camera caught a suspect in the act but ‘it’s not very clear’, Sarah said.

She added: “We are trying to remain positive. We have been open for eight years now and that is the first time anything like this has happened.

“They sent out forensics yesterday afternoon but we had to clean everything up to open by that time. We couldn’t afford not to open for lunch and leave everything waiting for the police to arrive.

“If there were any fingerprints, we would have cleaned them all up.”

Sarah also called for better lighting at night in the stretch between the restaurant and Coast Cafe.

"It’s not lit up very well at all,” she said. “It would be really useful if it was. I think it would deter people. We are looking at investing in security lighting now.”

Kelly Davies, the CEO of Worthing’s Business Improvement District (BID) and town centre manager, said she and her colleagues are ‘offering security advice to businesses’.

She added: “Our business crime reduction co-ordinator has shared information we have gathered and things we’ve seen. Information has been shared to other businesses informing them that this has happened. .

“It is important that businesses are aware there are some undesirables around doing these things in the area. We are encouraging safer practices and doing what we can by talking to police and traders.

"We like to empower the businesses by using us a resource so police can build a good picture about what’s going on in the town.

“CrabShack is so loved by the town. It’s such a good figurehead for what Worthing can be like and it’s ruined by a minority.”

Sussex Police said officers received a report of a break-in at a restaurant in Marine Parade in Worthing at around 4am on April 27.

“Officers believe this happened in the early hours of the morning,” a spokesperson said.

"An investigation is ongoing to identify any suspects and establish the full circumstances.

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