Sheffield businesses left counting the cost after burglaries

They smashed the door at Ranmoor Friery sometime between 3am and 4am this morning and stole cash from the till, pinched some drinks and took two charity boxes.

The charity collections were full and the owners were days away from presenting the proceeds to the Fisherman's Association and Cancer Research UK.

Business owner Ronnie Sandhu said: "It is disgusting that someone would do such a thing. Our customers have kindly been donating all year round so two charities are losing out."

She added that the damage and thefts combined would come to around £1000.

At around the same time, the nearby Boudoir Hair salon in Ranmoor was also targeted.

A member of staff at the shop said they smashed the door and took about £30 from the till.

These latest incidents come after a series of similar raids elsewhere in Sheffield in recent days.

Three businesses including a barber's shop, clothes store and bakery were targeted last week.

Police have not yet revealed whether or not the incidents are linked.

Dene Tinker, South Yorkshire Police's crime reduction officer, said: “In most of these cases, the damage caused often outweighs the cost of whatever was taken and at this time of year, when we see an upsurge in people shopping and getting their hair done for festive parties, closing your business for repairs can be incredibly disruptive.

“If you’re a manager or business owner, I’d urge you to evaluate your current security measures to see if they are fit for purpose as we get closer to Christmas and you’re likely to get even busier.

“Please ensure your premises are properly secured with the appropriate intruder alarms and whatever other security measures you feel are appropriate – this could be CCTV or other deterrents.

“It’s also good practise to remove all cash from your registers overnight and leave the empty cash drawer open, as well as displaying prominent signs that advise no cash is left on the premises overnight.

“If possible, consider removing any high-value stock from storefronts/windows where they can be easily viewed by people walking past, locking them up and securing them elsewhere in the premises as a precaution."