SOUTHAMPTON: Indian-origin restaurant owner Ankit Vaghela says he was left “heartbroken” after police told him to email CCTV footage instead of visiting his restaurant following a break-in last week.
Vandals forced their way into Padharo, stealing bottles of expensive alcohol and cash before fleeing. When Vaghela called 999, the Hampshire Police helpline advised that officers could review the footage “in three to five working days” and said no forensic team was available at the time.
Taking matters into his own hands, Vaghela examined the CCTV and later found his cash register — emptied — dumped alongside smashed liquor bottles on a nearby road. “We can’t afford to stay closed, so we cleaned up and fixed the glass ourselves,” he said, adding the business is still operating without a proper cash register.
Police said they did not underestimate the case but decided attendance was unnecessary as the suspects had left. “Every deployment decision is based on risk assessment,” the force said, adding the investigation is progressing with CCTV leads and public appeals for information.
Vaghela, however, remains frustrated: “It means nothing now, the damage is done. Officers were not willing to visit the restaurant.”
