Hartlepool coffee shop reopens just hours after devastating burglary as community rallies

LilyAnne’s Coffee Bar, in Victoria Road, was broken into overnight, with losses totalling nearly £1,000.

The coffee shop supports people through a range of projects and bosses have described the burglary as “an attack on the community”.

Cleveland Police have said inquiries into the incident, which happened between the evening of Monday, March 27, and the early hours of Tuesday, March 28, are ongoing.

A staff member was left shocked and shaken when she found the café had been broken into when she came to open up on Tuesday morning.

More than £400 in cash was lost and damage worth £500 was caused.

Project manager Trevor Sherwood has said the devastating burglary had come at time when reserves had already been depleted due to the cost of living crisis and high energy bills.

The business’s electricity bills over the past seven months have totalled £20,000.

"It was really devastating and it’s kind of an attack on the community. What it did was it reduced the level of support we were able to offer people because of the £900 cost,” Trevor said.

"It’s a lot of money for such a small community organisation.”

He continued: "It just adds to the pressures of running a community organisation in a time of a cost of living crisis.

"We are hoping that naturally we will build back but community businesses don’t have that much reserves at the moment because they have been wiped out by the cost of living crisis.”

Following the incident, the community rallied around LilyAnne’s – and the coffee shop was able to reopen in just two hours.

"They all rallied together and helped us get cleaned up and reopened," said Trevor.

He added: "Out of such a negative experience, there was so much positivity from the people that we helped, the people that we work with and other community organisations we work with as well.”

Cleveland Police has asked anyone with information to call 101 or pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or by phoning 0800 555 111.

A police statement added: “Property and cash had been stolen during the burglary.

“Scene of Crime officers were tasked to attend the premises and inquiries are ongoing.”