Takeaway raid pair ‘could be my customers’ - Men caught on CCTV snatching cash at Papa Del's

Published: 03 March 2011
by JAMIE WELHAM

THE owner of a popular Belsize Park takeaway believes the two thieves who broke in and stole thousands of pounds in a daring smash and grab could be regular customers.

The men swiped around £4,000 in cash from the safe they wrenched away from Papa Del’s in Belsize Lane in the early hours of Monday morning.

They can be seen on CCTV smashing through the glass door with crowbars just three minutes after staff locked up the restaurant at around 1.30am.

Owner Ehsan Meteb said he has been overwhelmed by the messages of support from regulars, many of whom have been placing extra orders to try and boost business. 

“We’ve had calls and emails from so many people offering to help with the clean-up,” he said. “It’s nice of people to think of us like that. We even managed to cater for a massive birthday on the day it happened and we haven’t really closed. The place was a complete mess when we came in the morning. We are trying to get back to normal as quickly as possible.”

The cash was being stored in the safe to pay staff wages and Mr Meteb has been forced to take out an overdraft to pay them. It also contained £5,000 worth of gift vouchers which cannot be traced.

Mr Meteb said: “I am sure the people who did this must have been customers. It looked like they knew exactly where everything was, and they had been watching us and were obviously waiting for us to leave. Nothing like this has happened before, and we’ve been here since the 1970s. I don’t know what more we could have done to prevent this, and I hope police get them. We know a lot of the police officers quite well because they come in to eat, so I have faith they will do their best.”

Footage seen by the New Journal, a copy of which has been handed to police, shows the two men loitering outside the restaurant before one of them smashes in the glass base of the door. He is wearing a North Face jacket with the hood pulled up around his face. 

The counter collapses as he yanks the safe away with a crowbar – the whole operation takes just a matter of minutes.

Officers from Camden’s burglary squad are investigating the incident. They describe the suspects as aged 16 to 25 and wearing dark jackets and light-coloured tracksuit bottoms.

Detective Inspector Gary Randall said: “I can confirm that we are investigating a burglary which took place on Belsize Lane, I would urge anyone with information to call Camden Police.”

Anyone with any information can Camden police on 0300 123 1212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.