Burglar breaks down bar door with keg and causes £2,000 damage at struggling Walsall community centre
A masked burglar caused thousands of pounds damage and stole more than £300 in cash at a community centre struggling to recover from the effects of the coronavirus crisis.
Volunteers at Walsall's African Caribbean Community Association discovered the premises had suffered a break-in when they arrived on Sunday afternoon.
The intruder was captured on CCTV getting inside the building in Wolverhampton Road and ransacking the bar, kitchen and dining room before snatching about £330 and alcohol.
A total of four windows and a door were damaged during the late-night incident leaving the centre with an estimated £2,300 repair bill.
Association secretary Basil Ellis said: "We are very angry about this giving that we are just coming out of Covid-19 with little or no money in the coffers.
"To replace a damaged door and locks, three broken windows its impact can be felt immensely, emotionally and costly for us.
"CCTV shows the intruder. Once in the kitchen he prised opened two cupboards. He then proceeded into the dining room where he also opened a filing cabinet.
"After not finding anything to his liking he went into the social club area where he used a keg to break down the bar door.
"Two cash tins containing approximately £330 were emptied and left on the counter. A number of bottle of spirits were also missing. We later discovered that three windows at the front of the property were broken.
"We contacted the police around 1.15pm when the break-in was discovered."
Mr Ellis added that a fundraising gospel concert will go ahead as planned on Saturday at 9pm.
West Midlands Police confirmed that the incident had been reported.
A force spokesperson said: "We're investigating a break-in at the African Caribbean centre, in Wolverhampton Road, Walsall, between 5pm on February 26 and 1pm February 27.
"A door was forced open and a quantity of cash was stolen from the bar area.
"CCTV from around the premises is being retrieved and reviewed as part of our ongoing inquiries."
Witnesses of anyone with with information should message officers via west-midlands.police.uk, quoting investigation 20/256894/22 or phone 101.
