(Image: Wibsey Community Cafe)
A NEW cafe in Bradford has been broken into less than four weeks after opening its doors to the public.
The Wibsey Community Café, based at Wibsey Community Gardens and run by environmental charity Bradford Organic Communities Service, was targeted overnight, with intruders reportedly forcing entry and stealing stock.
Reacting to the incident, Jen White, charity CEO, said: "Devastated really."
"Our site has been really well used by lots of different people.
"By families, by people with mental health issues, just by lots of different groups of people who've really enjoyed our site and felt happy and confident using it.
"For that to be damaged, it's just really upsetting.
"We want to continue to be a service for all the different people within our community to come and enjoy it and I want them to feel safe and happy using it."
Staff 'shocked' and 'disturbed'
Ms White said staff discovered the damage when they arrived to open the site.
She said: "The door's been smashed open and they've broken into the store cupboard and taken our provisions.
"One of our workers entered the site this morning, opened the site up, looked up and realised the door was missing.
"She was very shocked and very disturbed by what happened."
Aftermath of the break in
(Image: Wibsey Community Cafe)
£500 worth of goods stolen
Ms White said two doors had been damaged during the break-in and repairs would be needed before the site could be fully secured again.
She said: "We've lost two doors and there's going to be some work to improve, to recover and to secure the site."
Ms White believes those responsible were searching for cash but instead stole food supplies.
She added: "We certainly believe that out of the provisions, chocolates and sweets have been taken rather than anything else.
"We think the people were probably looking for money.
"They've taken chocolates we think up to a value of about £500.
"We'd just been shopping on Tuesday afternoon."
Inside Wibsey Community Café
(Image: Mike Simmonds)
Cafe open less than a month
The incident comes less than a month after the café officially opened on 24 July.
It is the latest project from Bradford Organic Communities Service and one of the charity's two main initiatives alongside the Bradford Community Repaint scheme.
Ms White said the break-in had been particularly upsetting because of the positive impact the cafe has already had on local residents.
Despite the setback, Ms White said the charity was determined not to let the incident affect its work by reopening today (Thursday).
She said: "We're not going to let it stop us."
West Yorkshire Police have been contacted for comment.