"We are not going to let them win" - Dismay as Bakerellys in Portsmouth has window smashed
The owners of a Portsmouth bakery have revealed their dismay after a window was smashed intentionally last week.
Bakerellys in Queen Street had been open less than a month when it had a window smashed between 8pm and 8.30pm on Tuesday, October 14. It was at the end of a dramatic day after the shop was forced to close as firefighters tackled a blaze at Admiral’s Fish & Chips next door.
Having come through the fire unscathed, it was disheartening for owners Ellie Ostler and Sy, who are unsure of the motivation behind the damage.
Sy, who grew up in Queen Street with his family running the Alfa Tandoori for decades before it was turned into a bakery last month. Sy said: “I honestly cannot understand it. There are obviously haters out there for whatever reason. It’s criminal damage but it causes us a lot pain and hassle.”
Having closed the eatery slightly earlier than usual at around 8pm, Sy headed home to spend time with family. After posting a live update on TikTok for the business, he received calls from locals that the window had been smashed.
He said: “I don't know how I could have upset them, maybe they have seen me promoting it on TikTok, or think we are doing really well, I don't know.”
Instead of spending time with family, Sy was in the shop till 1am sweeping up glass and clearing the mess caused. However, they were open the next day with Sy saying “we are not going to let them win, they want us to close, but we will keep going”.
Sy and Ellie have been heartened by the response from the community, with one follower on social media offering to give money for the repair.
Sy said: “Luckily the locals are all very supportive, we get a lot families coming in and we try to put smiles on peoples faces. I have known the locals for a long time, I grew up here. They are supportive and come in all the time with their kids to get cakes and treats.”
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A CCTV image of the person who caused the damage has been released with police asking for anyone with information to contact them.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: “We received a report of a criminal damage incident at Bakerellys on Queen Street on Tuesday 14 October.
“Following a review of all the evidence available to police at this time, a decision has been made to file this investigation pending any further information coming to light. If anyone has any information they can report this to us by calling 101 and quoting reference 44250466403.”