Burglary concerns but figures show fall

Shane Ogley, who owns Prestige salon in Lancaster, said: “I was burgled about 18 months ago and again recently. There are around 30 to 40 burglaries that I know of.

“It’s hard for small businesses. I’ve had Prestige Salon for five years now.In the recent burglary they took £3000 and crowbarred the safe out of the ground.

“They took all our products, an XBox for people to use, a tv and hair clippers.

“The police said we’ll be in touch but two weeks later I never heard anything.

“People don’t realise how traumatic it is being burgled, if your business goes down then your mortgate isn’t paid.

“It’s so easy for people to burgle a place and they don’t get harsh enough penalties “

Police Sergeant Dylan Hrynkow, based at Lancaster Police Station, said: “we remain committed to providing an effective response to burglary and understand that burglary has a devastating impact on victims and businesses.

“Annual figures for the last three years for burglary in the Lancaster area have been: 2014/15 = 1265; 2015/16 = 1239 and 2016/17 = 1062, which means burglary has fallen.

“Since the beginning of the year, five people have been convicted of a number of burglaries and three of those have been jailed.

“In Lancashire in 2016 we only had a 0.6% increase in crime, the lowest in Lancashire.We have done incredibly well. Budgets are tight.

“After an initial call we look at it and if there are no viable lines of enquiry and no-one is at risk of serious harm, there is no point sending an officerout.”