More pubs targeted in Corby crimewave

Earlier this month we reported that almost 30 pubs and shops had been targeted by criminals with burglars stealing takings and smashing fruit machines.

More incidents have been reported by publicans over the past week with two in almost identical circumstances to several of the smash-and-grabs earlier this month.

The Samuel Lloyd in Rockingham Park, near Gretton Brook Road, was hit just after 3am on October 16. The offenders smashed a window with a stone, entered the premises and smashed the front of the fruit machine.

Breakers Bar at St James Snooker Club, in St James Road, was raided just after 1am on October 21. The offenders smashed through a door and then smashed the fruit machine.

Five police cars also raced to The Kingfisher in Fotheringhay Road on Monday (October 22) just before 4am after impact on a shock detector set off an alarm.

Nobody was found at the pub but recent break-ins and the fear of further raids has left licensee Yvonne Duncan considering closing.

She said: “I have two pubs [The Kingfisher and The Hazel Tree] and I’m ready to pack it all in.

“We feel like just shutting the doors.

“We’re fighting to keep our pubs open and keep the customers in anyway and then you get idiots like this.

“The broken doors, the smashed up windows, it’s all at our expense.”

The pub was broken into twice in three months, forcing them to shell out more than £1,500 on security measures.

But those measures don’t prevent Yvonne from fearing the worst when she goes to bed.

She said: “It’s really worrying, my daughter lives on the premises and that’s what scares me.

“If they don’t get anything from downstairs are they going to go upstairs?

“We are all just waiting for something to happen.”

Lesley Ferguson is the landlady at the Shire Horse, which was one of the raided pubs mentioned in our article earlier this month.

She says all of the local pub owners are talking to each other about the incidents.

She said: “Everyone is just getting so fed up. We all know who it is.

“We just don’t know what we are going to wake up to in the morning.”

A further burglary was reported at the Conservative Club in Cottingham Road between 9am on October 14 and 8.35am on October 15.

A shed was broken into but nothing was stolen.

A 44-year-old man has been arrested and released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Detective Inspector Nick Cobley from Northamptonshire Police said: “I would like to reassure the local community that we are making progress in this investigation and are actively looking for persons of interest as well as following a number of lines of enquiry.

“Anyone with information is still asked to call us on 101 or if you would prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.”