Kent Wildlife Trust visitor centre targeted by 'heartless' thieves for second time in a year
CCTV cameras capture the moment thieves break into wildlife visitor centre in Kent
CCTV cameras have captured the moment 'heartless' thieves break into a wildlife charity visitor centre in Kent.
The owners of Kent Wildlife Trust’s Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve in Bradbourne Vale Road, say more than £1000 worth of damage was caused during the incident.
The burglars struck shortly after 3am on Wednesday, 23 October.
The 'brazen' thieves were seen entering the car park and getting out of their car before smashing through the front doors of the Visitor Centre.
Video footage reveals the damage caused inside the visitor centre
One man, wearing a hooded sweater, can be seen climbing through the broken door, before quickly grabbing the till and passing it back to his accomplice waiting outside.
The charity say the till contained £100 in cash, but around £1,500 worth of damage was caused during the incident.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information is urged to contact Kent Police on 01622 604100 quoting reference 23-0263.
CCTV footage shows the thieves outside the visitor centre
James Davis, who manages the centre for Kent Wildlife Trust said: "This is the second burglary we have experienced here this year and incidents like this are costly, both in terms of money lost and staff time.
"Whilst insurance will cover some of those costs, we have to pay an excess and it also impacts our premiums.
“The centre is a hub for local people who come here to enjoy family days out, bird watching and the nature trails, it is a valuable asset for local people and sadly they have had their visits disrupted whilst we carry out repairs.
"We are now open again for business and hope to see our regulars back again soon.
"If anyone would like to support us in offsetting some of the cost and disruption of this crime, they can either volunteer or donate to our Nature Nightmares appeal, a funder set up to help us deal with crime and antisocial behaviour on our sites.”
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