Safes stolen in Harborough shop raid

Thieves broke into Bates Butchers and Delicatessen on Church Square in the town, early on Saturday morning, February 17.

“They got in through the window” said shop boss Eddie Partyka.

“Then they got into the office and took everything off the shelves and out of the cupboards.

“They saw the safes and fetched them off the wall. All I’ve got left is four holes in the wall.

“They took stuff from a whole ham to a laptop computer.

“I’ve been here 38 years, and it’s the first time thieves have got into the shop. I feel awful.”

The break-in happened early on Saturday morning, between about 1am and 4.30am, when it’s possible people were still about in Market Harborough.

“I understand that someone heard breaking glass at about 1.30am” Eddie told the Mail.

“But then agai, I’ve been told that a suspicious vehicle was seen nearby at around 4.30am.”

The front of the shop, and the window through which the thieves entered, is visible from the High Street.

A vehicle would have been needed to transport the two safes.

It may have been a vehicle parked in front of the butcher’s shop was used to hide the thieves as they broke in.

If you saw or heard anything suspicious in the town centre late on Friday night or early on Saturday morning, please contact Harborough police.

Bates Butchers and Delicatessen is a rare traditional butcher’s shop, and has been a mainstay of independent shops in Market Harborough since around 1980.