‘We don’t feel safe running shops in the city’

Traders in part of Nottingham city centre say they feel “frightened” following a spate of burglaries.

Shop owners and staff working in and around Bridlesmith Gate are concerned about criminal activity in the area and want more safety protections to be put in place.

It comes after a shop on a neighbouring street was targeted by thieves twice in two days.

Nottinghamshire Police says it “takes all reports of retail crime extremely seriously”.

Sami Kemal, manager of vintage clothing store Garms in Bridlesmith Gate, said the store had been burgled twice in the past month and he felt “helpless” to stop it.

“It feels like you are cleaning up mess just for the store to get robbed again,” the 31-year-old said.

“Other stores in [our chain] are not suffering the way we are.

“It puts our jobs at risk – you fear that business owners will pack up and go elsewhere.”

Mr Kemal said he had attempted to chase up the cases to see if the perpetrators had been identified.

“The police response is just not quick enough,” he said.

“We do not know if they have even caught the offenders – I have resorted to using apps to try and find them myself.”

Sally Longdon, 57, owns Stick and Ribbon, an independent family business that has been on the street for two and a half years.

She feels the area has become less safe in that time.

“Seeing these break-ins happen so often is very worrying,” she said.

“You put your life and soul into a business – we were broken into last year and it feels like an attack on you personally.”

Her 25-year-old daughter, Ellie, works alongside her as a sales assistant.

“We’ve seen so many businesses come and go,” she said.

“Something needs to change – we need more police patrolling this street and more shops down here.

“We feel neglected compared to other parts of town.”

Nichola Thompson owns Table 47, one of the newest units on the street which was burgled just six weeks after it opened six months ago.

She said she had not felt the same since.

“I walk into work hoping that my windows haven’t been smashed,” she said.

“I have 18-year-old staff that don’t want to open the cafe in the morning because they are scared about what they’ll find.

“I am shocked at how bad it is. I honestly wish I had looked into the area more before moving here.”

Insp Paul Gummer, from Nottinghamshire Police’s neighbourhood policing team for the city centre, said there had been reports of three burglaries at businesses in Bridlesmith Gate over the past six months.

A suspect has been identified over the break-ins at Garms, he said, adding efforts to track down the suspect “are ongoing”.

“As a force we take all reports of retail crime extremely seriously,” he said.

“We understand the implications these types of offences have on our local businesses and that is why we pursue all lines of inquiry to bring offenders to justice and protect our business community.”