THE solidarity shown between several Tavistock businesses was praised after working together to stop a thief during an incident last week.

A distraction theft took place on Friday evening between 10pm and 10.30pm at Curry Nights on West Street, which saw one man occupy the manager at the back door of the shop while another entered the front and took money out of the till.

Waish Miah from the Ganges restaurant, of which Curry Nights is a subsidiary company, said he was sure it was a well planned crime as it took place just before the takeaway closed and just after the staff had been sent home.

He said: ‘A man knocked on the back door pretending to be lost and was asking how to get to the flats above. At the same time the manager heard the till ring — he saw a man grabbing money out of the till. He ran to catch him but he thinks he handed the money to another person who ran off. It was a well planned burglary, it happened just after the staff had gone home, so he was on his own.’

Mr Miah said the manager caught hold of the man who took the money out of the till but he was quite a large man and struggled to keep hold of him. He said the manager called out for help and a couple of bouncers working on the door of the nearby Jack Chams Lounge Bar ran to help detain the man. The police were then called and arrested the alleged thief and put out a search for the other man and the money.

Mr Miah said: ‘It was a great example of all the businesses working together and looking out for each other. The bouncers were a great help. The response from the police was also great, they attended within five to seven minutes and put out a search.

‘An hour later they found the money in a bush behind the Cornish Arms but they couldn’t find the other man. The manager from the Cornish came out and said that he had seen the two men in the beer garden earlier in the day.

‘It was good work from everyone, all looking out for each other — it’s a good thing.’

Mr Miah said the Curry Nights manager was pleased that one man had been arrested and that the money was found, but they wanted to warn other businesses, particularly small businesses that do not have many staff, to be wary of similar incidents.

Sergeant Dave Anning, from Tavistock Police, said this sort of crime was increasing in the town.

‘Sadly this is one of a number of similar crimes that has taken place recently,’ he said. ‘We think this could be linked to other offences in the town. This particular incident is a great example of how people can pull together in a small town to help each other out — the door staff at one place can help out another. We’re very lucky in Tavistock to have some very well-trained and professional door staff working at venues in the town, many of whom have worked in Tavistock for a long time.

‘Any businesses which keep easily accessible cash — as in charity tins on counters or easily accessible tills — now is the time to rethink security because these types of things are definitely being targeted.’