Burglars set fire to shop
Thirteen months of hard work have ended in heartbreak for a Templeton man, Mr Doug Russell, and his family. Burglars early yesterday morning broke into the family’s seven-day grocery and dairy on the Main South Road, stole about $lO,OOO worth of stock and chattels, then lit a fire in a back room.
Another $lO,OOO to $15,000 worth of stock will have to be dumped because of smoke damage. “We have been here only 13 months and have worked damn hard knocking it into shape. We thought we had the place ticking over pretty well before this happened,” said Mr Russell.
The shop is owned and run by Mr Russell, his wife, Betty, and their son and daughter-in-law, Nigel and Karen Russell. Mr Russell estimates it will be four or five days before the shop is cleaned up, restocked, and back in business.
The police believe the shop was broken into some
time between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.
A milkman noticed smoke coming from the rear of the shop at 6.15 a.m. and alerted Mr and Mrs Russell, who live nearby. The prompt action of the milkman probably saved the shop, which was not structurally damaged by the fire, said Detective Steve Hallinan, of the Hornby C. 1.8. An alarm on the outside of the shop was taken off, alarm sensors inside the shop ripped out, and an alarm inside the roof taken out by the burglars. Entry was gained by cutting a padlock on the front door of the shop.
The burglars took a cash register, a set of electronic scales, all the cigarettes, dog food, and detergent in the shop, plus other stock. They would have to have used a vehicle, said Detective Hallinan.
The police are interested in talking to anyone who saw anything between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. yesterday.
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Press, 9 August 1985, Page 1
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309Burglars set fire to shop Press, 9 August 1985, Page 1
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