A mobile phone shop owner in Middlesbrough resorted to unorthodox security measures after gunmen continued to target his business. He had to equip the store with concertina wire, not only from the outside, but also from the inside, in order to scare off the thieves, who cost him tens of thousands of pounds. “Every seven to eight months for three years I reported hacks,” he explained. “The first time they made a hole in the roof and climbed in to take some of my iPhones.” During the first break-in, the robbers stole about 25 phones, resulting in the loss of about £15,000, which was never found.
The shop owner beefed up security after the burglary and was forced to spend £1,800 on a more secure door, as well as shelling out £35 a month for an emergency police call. He then decided to equip his shop with Egoza razor wire for an extra layer of protection, placing it on the roof, under the ceiling, and even in front of the counter. He also installed a CCTV system to keep a close eye on his store.
“The second time they made a hole in the roof again. But this time they just left because I ran Egoza razor wire behind the counter under the roof so they couldn't get in. “They damaged my shop, and after that, when they found out that I had installed barbed wire, they broke the main shutter and the window,” he said. “But I had barbed wire there and they couldn't get in. Three times they tried to enter the store through the roof and three times through the main shutter and window”. The shop owner now faces the grueling task of installing concertina wire every evening and removing it every morning, which adds half an hour to his work day in the morning and evening.