Northampton car wash owner shocked after angle grinder used to cut through steel door

The owner of a Northampton car wash has been left shocked after intruders used an angle grinder to cut a hole in a metal door.

A large square was sliced out of the back door at Cobblers Car Wash in Sixfields on Sunday night (March 8) - but nothing was stolen.

Owner Imbi Mallick said: "Maybe they were disturbed as the grinding would make a hell of a noise and there's a block of flats over the road so someone must have seen them.

"But the thing that is shocking is I was sure that was a secure, heavyweight door but I'm shocked as what am I going to do now?"

Mr Mallick locked up the car wash on Duston Mill Lane at around 6pm on Sunday evening and found the destroyed door when he arrived at 7.45am on Monday.

The damage meant a member of staff had to stay overnight to keep the building safe as it was no longer secure.

The owner said: "It's just a small little business, I'm not making millions of pounds here, I'm not a fast food chain.

"I'm just trying to make a bit of money and now I need to replace the whole door which will cost me an arm and a leg and find someone I can trust to do it."

This is the fourth time Cobblers Car Wash has been targeted by criminals since opening a year ago.

The first happened two weeks after they started, with £1,500 worth of equipment stolen, before another break-in with nothing stolen and an attempted burglary within a month.

Mr Mallick could not understand why anyone would go to so much effort to cut their way into his building which does not store anything of much value and then take nothing.

"It shouldn't happen to anyone but I can't afford this kind of thing especially in the early days when I'm trying to establish myself," he said.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.