Storyteller Eatery & Bar has been burgled several times in 18 months

Bridie Osborne and Dyani Jamieson-Te Huia are unimpressed with thieves. Photo/Kate Durie

Storyteller Eatery & Bar opened its doors 18 months ago, within this time they have been burgled a total of seven times. In the last few weeks, they have been hit twice.

The Storyteller was only open two months before the burglaries began.

"The last few burglaries have been some odd things," says owner Bridie Osborne, "it has also been incredibly frustrating for us having to constantly file insurance claims."

Their most recent burglaries were of outdoor heaters. Thieves took two heaters that were bolted securely to the concrete wall outside and two of their commercial grade gas bottles, which were padlocked in a cage.

Bridie Osborne and Dyani Jamieson-Te Huia standing under the place where the heaters were stolen on early Saturday morning. Photo/Kate Durie

"The chefs showed up last Wednesday morning ready for work and found there was no hot water – that's when they discovered the gas bottles had been stolen.

"This was a massive task to undertake for the burglars," says Bridie.

And in the early hours of Saturday morning, the outdoor heaters were taken, which she says is not "a two-minute job, and they seem to know what they are doing to tidily and neatly clip the wires".

Other things that have been stolen over the months have been from the chiller. The padlock was snapped off and products were stolen.

Other bits and pieces have also been stolen from around the back of their building.

Bridie says these type of crimes seems to be getting worse, and the things that they are breaking in to steal are getting more varied.

She says, "It used to just be a bottle of alcohol, now it's gas bottles and heaters.

"Lots of businesses have already had a rough couple of years, and we are certainly no different. From talks with other local businesses in our community, we are not alone.

"The police are doing all they can, and we are alarmed and have security cameras - and we have fairly good footage of the break-ins," says Bridie.

Bridie hopes the Te Awamutu business and wider community continue to come together to fight against crime.

"We are hoping that the wider community can help out by being our eyes and our ears. For us we are off the main street, so we are more of a target because it is quieter in the early hours of the morning. But if there are people around - just have a look at our building," says Bridie.