by Hayley Robinson

Burglars attempted to break into a town centre store just a few hundred metres from Sittingbourne police station.

In one of the latest incidents of burglaries and attempted break-ins affecting the area, it has been revealed that would-be thieves unsuccessfully targeted Cartridge World in Central Avenue. It happened sometime overnight on January 15-16.

For the past nine weeks, the News Extra has been reporting on a spike in the number of burglaries and attempted break-ins carried out in and around the town.

To date 127 have been brought to the paper’s attention.

Details of the most recent 13 incidents are as follows:

A burglary occurred in The Street, Upchurch, between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday, January 16.

A ceramic plant pot was used to smash a patio door window to gain entry to a property in London Road, Sittingbourne.

Several items were taken including a Packard Bell laptop. It happened between 1.45pm and 3.15pm on Tuesday, January 22.

Between January 20 and January 22 two neighbouring garden sheds in Charlotte Street, Sittingbourne, were damaged and a spade was stolen from one of them.

A property in Wellwinch Road, Sittingbourne, was burgled between 8.30am and 4pm on Friday, January 18.

Footprints in the snow revealed someone had been eyeing up a garden shed in Regis Crescent, Milton Regis, just after 6am on Monday, January 21.

A trials motorbike was taken from a garage in Derby Close, Milton Regis, overnight on January 21-22.

There was an attempted burglary of a derelict church in Stadium Way, Murston, which is in the process of being renovated. The damaged lock was discovered at 11.30am on January 18.

Burglars smashed a back window at a flat at Thomas Court, Thomas Road, Murston.

A small amount of cash was taken when the break-in happened between 6.30am and 6pm on Monday, January 21.

Thieves broke in to a farm outbuilding at Hazel Street Bee Farm, Hazel Street, Stockbury, between 9pm on January 19 and 8.50am on January 20.

The back door panel was kicked in at a property in Cavell Way, Sittingbourne. It happened sometime after 12.30pm on Saturday, January 26, while the householders were out shopping.

A garden shed was entered illegally when thieves levered the lock from the door in Woodside Gardens, Sittingbourne, overnight on January 26-27.

A garage door was damaged during an attempted break-in at Longridge, Sittingbourne, between January 24-25.

A spokesman for Kent police said: “We’re continuing to investigate and ask anybody with any information about any of the incidents to call us on 101.”

TELEVISION APPEARANCE

A photographer whose camera equipment containing a couple’s wedding photos was taken during a burglary, is set to appear on a BBC1 programme.

Joanne Collins’s home in Ruby Close, Sittingbourne, was broken into on Sunday, August 12 last year.

Several items were taken including the camera which contained hundreds of images of Ben and Kelly Prangnell’s big day which was held at Oakwood House, Maidstone, the day before the break-in.

At the time the couple from Quinton were enjoying a 17-day tour in America unaware of the theft until they found out about it via a message posted on Facebook.

Mr Prangnell’s dad Peter appealed to the thieves via the News Extra to do the right thing and hand over the images before his son and daughter-in-law returned home but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The images have never been recovered.

Production company Topical Television read about the incident and made contact with Miss Collins before sending a camera crew to her home on January 17 to recreate the moment she discovered the theft.

The footage will appear on the programme Caught Red Handed which is due to air on March 11, at 11am.

She said: “It’s meant to show the devastating affects of a burglary.

“When it happened I cried, not for me but for the bride and groom. I did everything I could to try and get the pictures back.

“It was awful, devastating, and I nearly lost my business because of it.”