CCTV goes viral after break in attempt at Eastbourne florist

An alleged burglar's inept attempts to break in to an Eastbourne florist have gone viral after the owner shared CCTV footage on social media.
CCTV catches alledged burglar's attempts to break into an Eastbourne florist SUS-160402-094247001CCTV catches alledged burglar's attempts to break into an Eastbourne florist SUS-160402-094247001
CCTV catches alledged burglar's attempts to break into an Eastbourne florist SUS-160402-094247001

The footage shows an unknown man approach the back of Petals Florist in Hampden Park on Saturday, January 30.

The man can be seen attempting to open the doors of a florist’s van before giving up and entering a shed at the back of the store and setting off the burglar alarms in the premises.

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Owner Ruth Goncalves said she shared the footage the following morning.

She said, “I was just really angry when I came in on Sunday and found what a mess he made of the place.

“He had pulled stuff of the shelves and took some tools. It was only florist stuff, nothing really expensive, which is why I didn’t report it to the police at first but I was really angry.”

While she didn’t think it was worth reporting to police, Ruth posted the footage on Facebook to warn other businesses in the area.

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The footage soon went viral - being shared more than 32,000 times.

Ruth said, “I was surprised it has been shared as much as it has been. It has gone viral.”

The post has even been seen by officers from Eastbourne Police who visited the florist.

Ruth said, “The police saw it and came round to ask us about it. They said it actually would be worth reporting as it’s possible they could look into arresting him for tresspass and criminal damage or breaking and entering.”

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“To be honest I actually just want somebody who knows him to see and hopefully he will be embarrassed.”

A police spokesman said, “At 12.45pm on Monday (February 1) we received a report that just before 8pm on Saturday a man tried to break-in to Petals Florist in Brassey Avenue, Eastbourne.

“We understand that the owners have posted their CCTV of the incident on their Facebook page.

“They provided us with a copy of an image from the footage showing the suspect, which has been circulated on police systems for viewing by officers and staff.

“No arrest has been made.

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“Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact Sussex Police via [email protected] or call 101, quoting serial 666 of 01/02.”

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