Independent business owners suffering from a burglary epidemic today thanked Merseyside Police and the ECHO for bringing those responsible to justice. <\/p>\n
An emergency meeting was called in April this year after we revealed a crime wave plaguing bars and restaurants in Liverpool city centre. <\/p>\n
Some victims were even considering hiring their own security wardens to tackle determined crooks operating in Bold Street and Dale Street. <\/p>\n
Frustrated owners sought help from the police, council representatives and members of Liverpool Business Investment District (BID). <\/p>\n
Officers have arrested 19 suspects since April 10 and six of these men are now facing more than 11 years behind bars in total. <\/p>\n
They include: <\/p>\n
Alan Bell, 45, of Prescot Road, Old Swan - jailed for 18 months <\/p>\n
James Riley, 38, of Boundary Street, Vauxhall - jailed for two years and four months <\/p>\n
Marshall Tung, 30, of no fixed address - jailed for three years <\/p>\n
Daniel Tung, 18, of no fixed address - jailed for two years <\/p>\n
James Quarton, 28, of no fixed address - jailed for five months <\/p>\n
Colin Spicer, 47, of Seel Street, Liverpool - jailed for 20 months <\/p>\n
Gareth Morgan, who owns Dead Crafty Beer Company, suffered 1,600 of damage to a window and till area when Spicer and Bell struck. <\/p>\n
He described the crime spree as an epidemic, but today said: It just shows what the police can do when they have the right resources for something. <\/p>\n
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Our CCTV has helped to catch one of these guys, so that was clearly worth the investment. <\/p>\n
I think the ECHO drawing attention to it has certainly helped and possibly made the police step things up - which they have done and has clearly been a good thing. <\/p>\n
Staff at nearby Dale Street Eatery were also happy with the results, tweeting they could sleep a little better after hearing Spicer had been jailed. <\/p>\n
Tariq Batayneh runs the restaurant with his wife Lenka Balkova, which twice had its windows smashed during raids by Spicer and Quarton. <\/p>\n
She said it was so sad to watch people on CCTV smashing through the business you have worked so hard on and ruining our livelihoods. <\/p>\n
But today Mr Batayneh said: We feel a lot better after these results and we would like to thank the police for their work. <\/p>\n
We would also like to thank the Liverpool ECHO who really helped us to get the message out. We just feel a lot safer now. <\/p>\n
Both Dale Street Eatery and Dead Crafty Beer are now working with the council to look at installing new shutters at their premises. <\/p>\n
City centre councillor Nick Small, who organised the urgent meeting, said small independent businesses were the lifeblood of our city centre. <\/p>\n
The talks were also attended by Otto Mellouki, who runs Koop and Bakchich restaurants in Bold Street, both of which had been targeted. <\/p>\n
A community policing team patrolled the areas to offer reassurance, while officers visited businesses to provide security advice. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile undercover and uniformed officers walked city centre streets during the day and night to identify those responsible. <\/p>\n
Superintendent Mark Wiggins said: Business burglaries are not victimless crimes. <\/p>\n
Many of these businesses are local people who just want to earn a living and the actions of this group have not just left businesses out of pocket, they have the potential to damage the confidence of those local people running the businesses. <\/p>\n
We committed resources to help combat this problem following a series of burglaries. <\/p>\n
I hope todays result sends a strong message to anyone considering this type of criminality to think again. <\/p>\n
Supt Wiggins said it was in everyones interest to help solve and prevent crimes against people providing a vital service to our communities. <\/p>\n
He added: Liverpool city centre has continued year on year to be awarded Purple Flag status, and is consistently recognised as one of the safest cities in the UK. <\/p>\n
We will continue to work hard with our partners to ensure the city remains a safe place with a good reputation, which encourages people to continue to enjoy what the city has to offer. <\/p>\n
Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact Merseyside Police on 101 or the confidential Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111. <\/p>\n
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Independent business owners thank police and the ECHO for ending burglary "epidemic" - Liverpool Echo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Independent business owners suffering from a burglary epidemic today thanked Merseyside Police and the ECHO for bringing those responsible to justice. Continue reading