A cafe in an affluent English neighbourhood is at risk of closure after thieves stole 100 Magnum ice creams in a brazen heist.
Stephanie Morgan - who runs Stephanie's SE21 in Dulwich, south London - has lost thousands of pounds due to the "constant" burglaries.
The 44-year-old mother-of-one has seen her premises repeatedly ransacked since January, as thieves steal furniture, food and drinks.
"It's so disheartening," said Morgan, who opened her cafe in July 2021.
The owner said that the break-ins were 'disheartening'
The burglars have not only stolen items but have also trashed the cafe, inflicting significant damage and disruption to the small business.
In one particularly baffling theft, burglars made off with 100 Magnum ice creams.
"What is the point in that? They don't have any value. You can't sell them on. You can't eat them all. It's just stupid. And it's wasteful," Morgan told KentLive, explaining how the thieves often empty freezers and throw items on the floor.
The perpetrators have also damaged storage areas and stolen tools from the shed.
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The break-ins occurred once in January, three times in February, and once again on March 31, wreaking absolute havoc on the cafe's finances.
The owner has now invested in a new security system with CCTV that alerts police when there's a break-in - although this has come at significant cost.
"I've worked out that I'm paying an extra £18,000 a year in wages alone because of the extra security tasks I've had to ask my staff to do," she explained.
Staff are now spending additional hours clearing out fridges and "chaining furniture to the fences" to prevent further thefts.
Morgan has also reluctantly stopped serving alcohol except at private events
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Morgan has also reluctantly stopped serving alcohol except at private events since drinks were a particular target for thieves.
"It's not like it's a particularly profitable business in the first place," she added, explaining that the cafe served as a vital community hub in Dulwich.
Thanks to her hard work over the years, she had completely transformed an abandoned car park by Belair Park into a "beautiful community space".
"Dog walkers meet here even in the dead of winter," she said.
"If it wasn't such a hub of the community - I wouldn't bother anymore," she admitted.
