Hastings Old Town shops hit by spate of break-ins

More than ten Shops and businesses in George Street and the seafront have been victims in the space of a month. They include Promenade Fish Bar, Habibi, Pawfect Pooch, Reste, The Cornish Bakery and Tadhg Mae.

The break-ins have taken place between 3am and 6am.

George Street shop owner Alex White said: “Shops are getting broken into, windows smashed, and doors crowbarred. They are left paying for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds to fix damage, often for the sake of a few quid.

"Pawfect Pooch in West Street was broken into. A whole pane of glass was removed and the door crowbarred open. Only a couple of pounds was taken but hundreds of pounds of damage was caused.

"Crime doesn’t just hurt the business owner, it chips away at the whole community. They are hurting families and livelihoods.”

Robbie Clark, of Old Town Traders, said: “Police are being incredibly supportive. Patrols between 3-6am are currently taking place and they are regularly driving around the affected streets. They are keeping in constant contact with our committee.

"Ady Maylam has organised a walk around with the Old Town PCSOs, to meet traders and residents. Traders have received support from residents who are reporting anything they see that’s suspicious or out of place.

"There is a really strong visible presence during the day, the community policing team have worked hard to combat daylight hours crime and continue to work to keep that minimal.”

A spokesperson for Hastings Police said: “We have increased our visibility in the area and continue pro-active engagement with partners, business owners and residents. "Our teams are actively gathering information and working closely with the community to support those affected and identify those responsible.”