Long Sutton pub Palmers left counting the cost of burglary

A pub has suffered a loss of “easily over a grand” following a burglary at the premises.

Staff at Palmers Ale House and Kitchen, Long Sutton, realised they had been broken into when they arrived on Monday morning after the incident, which occurred on Sunday, September 3.

The front door was wide open and the lights were on in the kitchen, with the whole till missing from behind the bar and the back shelf nearly empty of spirits bottles.

Owner Sophie Holden (26) who manages the family-run business, said: “They managed to get away with the till and a number of our spirits.

“Thankfully as it was a Sunday, during the day most of our trade was on cards, so there was only about £100 in the till itself. But the till was taken – which is worth £400 and with the stock and alcohol – it has set us back easily over a grand.”

Although insurance should cover their losses the owner is grateful that no staff were there at the time of the break-in.

She said: “We were all distressed by it – we have felt a weird displacement – it seems like three months ago.

“It is not on the level of a home being broken into – it happened when we were closed and there wasn’t anybody there – no staff were on site.

“But the whole week was put on hold, being on the phone with the police and insurance company – and a feeling of not being able to trust the situation.”

The incident has been reported to Lincolnshire Police and Miss Holden thinks that the items may have been taken to sell on quickly.

She said: “It is not the world’s most high security system – we have no CCTV – the shop across the road from us has a camera and may have a wide street angle.

“But it depends on how thoroughly the police are investigating.”

Lincolnshire Police said: “Incident 160 of Monday, 4 September. We received a report of a burglary at a business premises at Market Place in Long Sutton at around 12.10am. A till and stock was stolen from the site. Investigations are ongoing.”