Call for CCTV on Gosport High Street after thousands of pounds of goods stolen in shop burglaries

A councillor has called for the return of live CCTV monitoring after burglaries at two businesses resulted in thousands of pounds’ worth of goods being stolen.

Conservative Cllr Lesley Meenaghan said the incidents were particularly concerning as business burglaries are “unusual” in Gosport.

Within the space of a few days, Re5 Customs on Stoke Road and Vision Express on the High Street were both targeted, with offenders smashing the lower door windows to get in.

Police said around £2,000 worth of clothing was stolen from Re5 Customs after a brick was used to break a glass door at about 5.30am on Wednesday, May 27.

A 27-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of burglary other than a dwelling in connection with that incident. He has since been bailed until September 1 while enquiries continue.

In a separate incident, sunglasses worth around £1,000 were stolen from Vision Express after windows were smashed overnight between Sunday, May 31 and Monday, June 1. No arrests have been made in connection with that burglary.

Cllr Meenaghan, a former Gosport police officer who represents Harbourside and Town, said: “Non-dwelling burglaries are unusual in Gosport, which makes these incidents all the more concerning for business owners, employees and the wider community.”

“On the same evening as the Vision Express burglary, approximately eight hours earlier, a tree on the High Street was deliberately snapped in half. I can never understand such mindless acts of vandalism that damage our shared public spaces and undermine community pride.”

She said private CCTV footage of the person believed to be responsible for the damage to the tree had been passed directly to the police.

Cllr Meenaghan said: “I firmly believe that the return of live CCTV monitoring could help prevent crimes such as these, assist in the early detection of offenders and provide greater reassurance to residents and businesses. Gosport Conservatives have made a commitment to delivering safer streets and neighbourhoods, and we are actively reviewing options to bring back live CCTV monitoring.”

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said enquiries into both burglaries are ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, report online, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.