Indian restaurateur left to track own burglary in UK's Southampton

London, Aug 8 (PTI) The owner of Padharo, a popular vegetarian restaurant in the port city of Southampton, on Friday relived how he was left to retrace the steps of burglars who broke in and fled with several bottles of expensive alcohol and cash as police officers failed to attend the scene after an emergency call.

Ankit Vaghela, who is preparing to mark Padharo's fourth anniversary on England's south coast later this month, said he and his staff were left heartbroken on being told to email CCTV footage of the three burglars who smashed their way into the deserted premises late at night last week.

Reviewing the footage himself, the restaurateur decided to get proactive and discovered his broken and abandoned cash register, minus the cash, and some smashed bottles of the liquor stolen from the bar.

“It was very heartbreaking to be told that officers will be able to review the damage in three to five working days and that no forensics was available at the time,” said Vaghela.

“There was glass everywhere. As a business, we can’t afford to remain closed and had to get things cleaned up and the glass fixed. We are still struggling to operate smoothly without a proper cash register, which will take time, but are determined to welcome our guests with the same level of service we are known for in the city,” he said.

Vaghela, originally from Gujarat, suffered a similar break-in around the same time last year when a burglar smashed through a different entrance but fled only with self-inflicted injuries.

“It is extremely worrying and a safety concern as other businesses in the city centre have been similarly targeted. But we have to trust the process and hope for justice,” he said.

Last week's break-in came just days after the award-winning restaurant on East Street welcomed players of the Indian women’s cricket team, including captain Harmanpreet Singh, in Southampton for their One-Day International (ODI) match against the England team.

The community has since rallied around to express their support after a post on the restaurant's social media pages alerted other businesses in the area.

“Please be extra vigilant. We would hate for anyone else to go through this. But we are determined. We’ve spent the time cleaning up the mess, and we are back open. We refuse to let this define us. Now, more than ever, we're relying on our wonderful community,” reads the appeal.

Hampshire Police, which is investigating the July 31 incident, said it did not “underestimate” the impact business burglaries have on victims and take such cases seriously when reported.

“Every deployment decision is based on informed risk assessments to make sure the most serious cases are prioritised, and officers are on scene where there is an immediate threat to life or a crime in action,” the police force said in a statement.

“On this occasion, based on the initial information we were given regarding the offenders no longer being at the scene, our investigation could get underway without any immediate attendance. That investigation is progressing with lines of enquiry identified, such as CCTV, and we are in touch with the victim to provide them updates on our investigation,” added the statement, along with an appeal to the public for any information related to the burglary. PTI AK RD RD