A NEWPORT café was damaged during a break-in - with the culprit stealing two charity boxes.

In the early hours of Monday, March 21, Belle Vue Team Rooms, based at Belle Vue Park in Newport, was broken into, with the perpetrator breaking the glass door with a brick.

Newport City Council, which owns the building, will have to fork out the cost for repairing the damage caused.

The culprit discovered the till empty – as takings are not left on the premises overnight – but made off with two charity boxes housed in the building: one for Hope Rescue and one for Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Jan Walsh, who runs the tea rooms, was alerted to the incident as the external alarm was triggered and - while heading to the scene - watched the crime unfold on CCTV.

“The glass is heavy-duty, but it’s still glass,” said Ms Walsh.

“It was just one person – he went to the till which was empty as we don’t leave money in the premises, but he took our charity boxes which were quite heavy.

“He looked around in the cupboards too – but it was for nothing really, which is annoying.

“The cost of repairing the damage is greater than the amount they have taken, but they don’t think about the disruption caused.”

South Wales Argus:

As Belle Vue Team Rooms is open seven days a week, the business has since had to operate with the door boarded up.

“Our whole ethos is being a place to make good family memories,” added Ms Walsh.

“We want it to be a lovely place for families – not with broken glass and boarded up doors.

“It’s a council building so they’ll have to pay money to put things right, which is so frustrating.”

The café will arrange to get new charity boxes and will have to start fundraising from scratch, with Gwent Police investigating the incident.

South Wales Argus:

A spokeswoman for the force said: “We had a report or a burglary at this location in the early hours [of March 21] and enquiries are ongoing.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call Gwent Police on 101 quoting 2200092578.

Alternatively, people can message Gwent Police via Facebook or Twitter, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.