Burglars steal from store affected by Worthing blaze

A food and wine store affected by the fire that ripped through a number of premises in Worthing has been burgled.
The Thomas Food and Wine store in Rectory Road, WorthingThe Thomas Food and Wine store in Rectory Road, Worthing
The Thomas Food and Wine store in Rectory Road, Worthing

Ten fire engines spent hours putting out the fire in eight flats, originally thought to be ten, and five shops opposite the Thomas A Becket pub in Rectory Road, Worthing, on the evening of August 27.

Among the affected shops was Thomas Food and Wine, which was closed due to the incident.

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But burglars have targeted the store and stole from the business.

Damage to the flats in Rectory Road, Worthing, the day after the blaze took holdDamage to the flats in Rectory Road, Worthing, the day after the blaze took hold
Damage to the flats in Rectory Road, Worthing, the day after the blaze took hold

Sussex Police said the owners of Thomas Food and Wine discovered the burglary at 7.30pm on Thursday, having left the premises secure at 12.30pm the previous day. Cigarettes, alcohol and cash were stolen.

A spokesman said: “Anyone with any information about the break-in is asked to report online at https://sussex.police.uk/appealresponse or call 101 quoting serial 1154 of 30/08.”

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In the aftermath of the fire, the Thomas A Becket pub became a focal point for the relief effort, and was inundated with donations from the community.