Edinburgh restaurant owner responds after a masked thief steals cash and alcohol. They are seeking harsher punishments for robbers.
Bell Bottom staff found a broken window. The cash safe and alcohol were gone, while CCTV showed a young guy climbing inside and raiding the restaurant. He stole over £10k cash and more booze.
Leena Kumar manages the Indian restaurant and has started a petition asking for harsher punishments. The thief stole staff tips, too, and Police Scotland investigates the robbery.
Leena said the break-in was around 4:30 AM. She arrived to see the damage that morning, discovering that the cash, safe, and pricey alcohol were missing. This happened just hours after the incident.
Almost £10,000 in cash was stolen, along with £3,000 in staff tips. Around £14,000 worth of alcohol disappeared, including expensive whiskeys and wines. The business just opened in August 2024.
The restaurant closed for the day but might open later for deliveries. They need to fix the smashed window, and the thief even came back to steal more alcohol after taking the cash.
Leena created an online petition because the restaurant suffered significant damage. The front door and a window were broken, and theft cost the retail sector a lot in 2019. She wants more aggressive action.
Leena said theft hurts local businesses. Her restaurant was recently broken into by a young thief, maybe 15 to 20, who stole cash and alcohol, damaging the restaurant badly.
The damage affected equipment, leaving the window and door broken. Leena claims many UK businesses face similar issues. She thinks laws don’t deter theft enough.
She asks lawmakers for stricter penalties to deter criminals from robberies. This could help protect businesses that are robbed, as protecting local businesses is necessary now because they provide many people’s livelihoods.
Police got a report about the break-in on Polwarth Crescent overnight, around 7 AM on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The police investigation is ongoing.