North Shields florist left devastated at burglary days after blaze on street

A florist has said she is "devastated" as her business was burgled just days after a fire gutted a building on her street housing a suspected cannabis farm.

Chrissy West of Pansy's Florists told ChronicleLive on Wednesday that the blaze on Nile Street had affected everyone on the thoroughfare in the heart of North Shields. However, just days later she has become the victim of a burglary, rounding off a "week from hell".

When arriving at her premises on Friday morning, Chrissy noticed that the doors in her yard and at the rear of the property had been "smashed through" off the hinges. She reported to police that the business's work laptop and a till containing cash had been stolen.

READ MORE: Police investigating North Shields fire at 'cannabis farm' issue closure order at 'unsafe' building

READ MORE: Pensioner sustains serious injuries after being hit by car in North Tyneside

Chrissy told ChronicleLive: "You know when you just think you've been through hell and back in a week. Everyone's been affected on our street, and to come in two days later and find we'd been robbed, I was just so devastated."

Chrissy claims that her business's CCTV shows a man in the shop for roughly two hours searching for "anything of monetary value." She also reported that the contents of a tip jar had been taken.

"It was probably only about £10 or £15 quid in the tip jar, but it's the fact that it's a little thing for the lasses (Pansy's staff). All the extra we work so hard for, even the coppers out of the tip jar were emptied out, he hadn't even left a penny."

Florist Chrissy says that she is trying not to let the break-in get to her, but it's hard. She finished: "It's just heartbreaking, it's scary, and I'm really trying not to let it get to me. But tonight, when I go home, I'm thinking 'is it going to happen again?'

"I need to keep my business going, I need to pay my staff, my bills, my rent and everything in between. And someone's come through and completely ruined that."

A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: "Shortly after 8.20am today (Friday), we received a report of burglary at a premises on Nile Street in North Shields. It is understood an offender had gained entry to the premises overnight and has taken a quantity of cash, before leaving the scene.

"Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to send us a direct message on social media, or use live chat and report forms on our website. Those unable to make contact in these ways can call 101. Please quote reference number: 141182Y/24."

Police put a closure notice on the building of the burned out husk of the former New Store on Nile Street on Thursday. An assessment found that the building is not safe to enter, and it is now a criminal offence to gain entry.