CCTV: Decking worth £1,700 stolen from Kenank’s

David Hankinson outside Kenank's where the decking was stolen from.

CCTV footage shows two men loading the planks of wood into a van outside Kenank’s, Barracks Road, on Sunday just before midinight.

Owner David Hankinson only opened the restaurant in October after pouring his life-savings into the venture.

He described the theft of the decking, which was being used to finish off a new beer garden at the restaurant, as “horrible” also revealing the cost may not be covered by his insurance.

“I’ve spoken with the insurance and although I’ve not had a definite answer, it’s not looking good as it was outside.

“We only took delivery of the wood on Saturday. There’s been bits and bats there these past few weeks while the work was being carried out but nothing as expensive as this. This is finished wood. It was going to be nailed down the Monday as well.

“The staff only locked up 10 minutes before they arrived with the van so it looks like they’ve just been sat there waiting and watching.

“You can see two of them piling it up for around 20 minutes then a van backs up and they just load it into the back. Unfortunately the CCTV doesn’t cover the whole of the car park and so this is something else I’m going to have sort out, at further expense.

“The police have been but because you can’t make out the van, it’s difficult. There going to use Automatic Number Plate Recognition and hopefully get a hit on that .”

The beer garden had been due to be finished at the beginning of June but Mr Hankinson said he was now going to have to weigh up his options.

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen. They were actually disturbed by somebody over at the Travelodge so they left about a quarter of the wood which we’ve now put down. We’ll see if we can get something sorted.

“It’s really irritating. We shouldn’t have left out overnight but it’s just not something you expecct to happen. It’s a bitter pill but we’ll just have to swallow it.”

Anybody with any information should contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org