Yahoo News Thousands of pounds in cash stolen in Gateshead Post Office burglary
The husband of a postmaster has said thousands of pounds were stolen in a burglary at their Gateshead Post Office.
The burglary took place at the Beacon Lough Post Office on Sunday afternoon, but those involved made off from the scene before officers arrived. Cash, charity boxes and other goods were stolen in the burglary, with the offender said to have made-off in a car that was parked nearby.
Jignesh Mewada, 35, whose wife, Jignasa, 34, has been the postmaster of the shop for the past four years, said they received a call from a neighbouring chip shop on Sunday telling them the Post Office alarm was going off and that there was a large police presence outside. Jignesh, who lives in South Shields with his wife, then headed over to the shop.
He said: "The police called me and told me there had been a break-in. They had come in through the back door, which is metal, but the wooden frame had been broken to get in. He got in and took a lot of money from the Post Office, we have a safe and he opened that, took the money from there and then came into the shop.
"He broke into the till and also took some cigarettes and charity boxes before running out. Our neighbour had come out because the alarm was going off. She saw a man in his early 20s running out of the shop with a bag full of money.
"He pushed her out of the way and then got into a car, which was parked behind the school. We've been here for four years and it's hard to explain how we are going to recover and come back from the loss."
Jignesh says that thousands of pounds were stolen in the break in, and police told him the getaway car was found abandoned about an hour after the burglary. The intruder also left a hammer behind, which police took away to examine. The Post Office is currently closed until an audit is carried out at the shop.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At 3.40pm yesterday (Sunday), we received a report of a burglary at the Beacon Lough Post Office in Gateshead. Officers attended the scene however the offenders had already made off prior to police arrival. Inquiries are ongoing into the incident."
Anyone with information regarding the report should use the ‘Report’ pages of the force website or call 101, quoting log NP-20240519-0669.
