Derry businesses considering reintroducing shutters following break-ins

Two Derry businesses located on Carlisle Road were subject to break-ins last week.

Fitzroy’s Bistro and Eleanor's Home Bakery were burgled in the early hours, around 5am, on March 19.

At one of the businesses, a window was discovered smashed, while a door at the other business was reported as being damaged.

Shonagh Ferry, the manager at Fitzroy’s, said: “From our CCTV, we saw the fella; he was walking up the street with the block under his arm. He was outside for a good half an hour walking around.”

This is not the first occasion of a break-in within the Carlisle Road area of the city in recent months.

In November 2021, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey announced up to 87 commercial businesses on Spencer Road and Carlisle Road were set to benefit from revitalisation works.

The minister has awarded funding of £1.14 million to Derry City and Strabane District Council to deliver the revitalisation schemes, which would see an enhancement of shop frontages including replacement signage and painting, repairs to render brickwork, and removal of external shutters.

However, both Fitzroy’s and Eleanor’s Bakery would like to see a return of shutters to protect their businesses.

Miss Ferry said: “We are a bit disgusted because, as you know, there was a whole movement in this city centre about getting rid of shutters and making the area look more family-friendly with grants given to remove the shutters, but we do feel like we may have to put them back up now again.

“I have spoken to the police one time before as we would have a lot of drunks come up this street, a fella from City Centre Initiative, and he kind of said to make sure we report all incidents because there are not a lot of police within the city centre; there is one man that does it all pretty much, but the more reports, obviously, the more they will put people on, but it is just not an area they have heavily policed at the minute, and I just find that surprising.

“It has cost us quite a bit now; sometimes there will be unseemly characters sitting on the bench outside, and I have sent staff out to move them on, but I feel like I could be putting my staff at risk because I don’t know how they are going to react; some people can be quite aggressive; it is not a situation that I want to put staff in.”

The police are currently investigating the burglary and are remaining in contact and working with the affected business.

Inspector Craig is appealing to anyone who may have been in the area at around 5am and who noticed any suspicious activity to report it, adding: "This appeal includes taxi drivers or drivers in the area making deliveries as well as anyone with dash cam footage from around this time. If you have information which may assist with our enquiries we'd ask you to call us on 101 or submit a report using our non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/."

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/.