A CAFÉ owner has warned of a ‘spate’ of burglaries in Botley after he found his shop ransacked by thieves yesterday.

Offenders smashed the front door of the Organic Deli Café overnight on Sunday before stealing cash, a tablet computer and a charity box raising money for the Children’s Hospital charity.

Thieves took £500 in cash and a filled charity box, as well as smashing the doorway during the burglary at the Botley Road café.

Shop owner Trevor Bennet said that he was in shock when he arrived on Monday morning to find the café had been turned upside down.

He said: “The first I saw of it was at 8am this morning when I arrived to find the door had broken in and there was glass everywhere.

“Police said they had already been out and had boarded up the door.

“It was a shock, it just gets to you. With everything that is going on around it and you have the pressure it just really gets to you.

“It is one of those things, it’s a real irritant.”

He said that this was the third time he had been a victim of burglaries, having seen his Friars Entry deli broken into twice before.

This was a case of ‘third time lucky’ he said but added that he wasn’t so sure it would be the last time.

He said: “It is worrying because there has been a spate of burglaries in the area from what residents have said.

“They have been in this morning and they have all said there has been a spate of burglaries like this.”

The shop owner said that although he used to have CCTV installed he would be putting in fresh cameras as a result of the incident.

He said: “It just makes you worry and it makes you think ‘are we doing enough to keep ourselves safe?’

“It’s quite sad, it’s obviously a desperate measure that these young individuals feel the need to steal because of things being cut in the area.”

The latest winter burglary comes nearly one month after the Oxford Mail revealed that burglaries over the festive season were at their highest level since 2012.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that there were 166 reported burglaries between November and January last year.

Police had previously made an appeal after reporting a spate of burglaries in North Oxford last month.

Commenting on yesterday’s concerns Thames Valley Police would not comment on reports of a ‘spate’ of burglaries but said they were investigating and appealed for witnesses.

Spokesperson Jack Abell said: “Officers were called at about 5.50am on Monday following reports of a burglary at the Organic Deli Café in Botley Road, Oxford.

“Offices attended the scene where an amount of cash had been stolen as well as a tablet computer.

“An investigation into the incident is taking place.

“Anyone with any information which could relate to the incident is asked to call the Thames Valley Police non-emergency number 101.”