Popular independent Sheffield businesses robbed just days after reopening from lockdown

Cafe #9 and Bench, both on Nether Edge Road, had their front windows smashed and money stolen by thieves who climbed in and took from the tills.

The thieves were caught on CCTV in Cafe #9 and a police investigation is under way.

Mario D’Agostino, manager at Cafe #9, said: “Two people broke in and took £40, which was just what was inside the till that they took.

"We have it all on CCTV. They smashed the window, climbed through it and went behind the counter for about a minute.

"Then they grabbed the till and left. They didn’t do anything else while they were there.

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"It will be much more expensive to fix the window than the amount that was stolen, so that is the most annoying thing about it.

"It is obviously very frustrating because we are just getting back on our feet after lockdown so it’s another set back that we really don’t need.

"But we also thought that whoever it was must be in a pretty bad situation if they are going around robbing £40 from a cafe.”

Following the incident Cafe #9 joked Facebook: “Obviously they were after Mario D'Agostino’s secret ricciarelli recipe. Little do they know we keep that locked away in an impenetrable bunker at a secret location. Pesky robbers.”

South Yorkshire Police have been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, The Green Shop in Hillsborough was also broken into by thieves last night.

The staff posted on Facebook that the thieves broke in by smashing a window and damaged the coffee machine.