Largs businesses call for better CCTV after latest raids

Thieves targeted Deli Il Cardo in Main Street overnight on June 13-14.

Staff tips and bottles of whisky had been stolen in a previous incident at the same business in May.

This time round, while the culprits were unable to get into the restaurant itself, they did manage to break into a storage unit and steal a food hamper before smashing a glass window in a door.

On the same night a door was smashed in at Auld's Bakery.

A spokesperson for Deli Il Cardo said: "They got into the storage hut and rifled through the freezer. They didn't take any of the tools but stole a hamper with food and beer and some mustard sauce in it.

"They had been there a wee while. They couldn't get into the restaurant because it was fortified after the last incident.

"The police said they were dealing with us as well as Auld's.

"We think that is why they kicked the door in.

(Image: Newsquest)

"It just can't keep happening. We are trying so hard to improve the business here, and bring something that is nice and different to the town, and it keeps getting vandalised.

"You try to have nice things for the town, like the skate park, which got vandalised with graffiti last week, and you have this minority who try and come along and ruin it.

"We have now had to fortify the premises even further after the latest incident."

Laura Gracie, the manager of Aulds in Largs, said: "It was really strange as we had just had our delivery at 3.45am when it happened.

"They smashed it once and then ran away towards the Gateside Street end of town.  AD Paton Butchers across the road managed to get some CCTV footage of it, but it was just one person with a scarf around their face. They took something out their pocket, and ran away.

"It is worrying to see that this kind of thing keeps happening in the town. We managed to get the door replaced the next day through the insurance company."

Laura also told the News of an incident a few weeks earlier when a customer asked her to prepare some food, and when she returned to the counter he had gone and taken all the food next to the till.

Laura said: "The same person came back and tried to get served again and I told him in no uncertain terms after he stole the food the last time. He denied it, before shuffling out the door.

(Image: Newsquest)

"I am not sure whether it was the same person who had come back and was angry that he had been shopped who committed the vandalism, but whatever the case, it is always sad to see this."

Scott Paton, owner of AD Paton's. who managed to capture some footage of the incident at Auld's on his own CCTV, made a plea to council bosses to help the town get more surveillance as a deterrent.

Mr Paton said: "At present, we only have two CCTV cameras in Largs town centre and it is not enough.

"My CCTV has already helped in someone getting charged with a break-in to a neighbouring premises, but the other businesses in town definitely need more help, and as far as I am concerned, the answer is more CCTV."

Police say that the incident happened at Deli Il Cardo overnight between June 13 and 14, while the incident at Auld's happeneed between 3am and 4am on June 14. 

They say they don't yet have enough information to decide whether the two incidents were linked. 

No-one has yet been identified as a suspect in connection with either incidents and enquiries are ongoing.

Sergeant Donald Fisher said: "In general, I am in favour of CCTV for its place in detecting crime, identifying witnesses and lines of enquiry, and acting as a deterrent.

"It is a very useful tool in assisting police as part of their enquiry.  The public space CCTV in Largs is run through the local authority, from which we as police can request review. 

"Additional cameras would require additional funding and infrastructure to assess, plan, install and operate, for which the local authority would be best placed to comment.    

"It does however have be recognised that public space CCTV will not be able to cover all areas, all the time, even with additional cameras. 

"It shouldn’t become overly relied upon at the expense of natural vigilance combined with good security practices/design by the community and police.

Scott Paton believes more CCTV is the answer to ongoing crime concerns in town centre (Image: Newsquest)
"To that end, it is understandable that businesses/premises may wish to install their own CCTV systems which cover relevant areas of a premises and serve to protect their business, staff and customers.

"Such private space CCTV has proven a useful part in police enquiries in Largs and I expect will continue to do so.  

"If any business or premises is considering CCTV and/or would like advice regarding it, they can contact Police Scotland through the normal channels where officers will be able to discuss their circumstances and provide relevant advice around it."

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “There are three public space CCTV cameras located in Largs, which are all fully connected to the council’s CCTV control room and are monitored 24 hours a day.

“The cameras were installed in 2010 and upgraded to the latest technology in 2022.

“The CCTV team and Police Scotland worked together recently to address a particular issue with break-ins at shop premises in Largs.

“CCTV officers and staff from the wider Protective Services team meet with Police Scotland on a regular basis. If there is a recurrence of issues in the area, these will be acted on quickly and appropriately.

“At present there are no plans to increase the public space CCTV provision in Largs.

“The cameras and associated infrastructure operated by the public space CCTV system are high spec and consequently any extra cameras would require significant investment.

"Should additional resources become available for more cameras, their locations would be data driven and determined in conjunction with Police Scotland.

“We are not aware of any grants available for the installation of private CCTV systems.”