2 men charged with burglary after reported break-in at town centre cafe

Endless Kettle Cafe <i>(Image: Google Street View)</i>

(Image: Google Street View)

Two men have been charged with burglary following an alleged break-in at a Bradford district cafe.

The charges relate to an incident at the Endless Kettle Café on North Street in Keighley on Sunday.

Douglas Fryer, 54, of Greenfield Court, Keighley, and Anthony James, 58, of Allerton Road, Bradford, have both been charged with burglary.

Fryer is due to appear before Bradford Magistrates' Court on December 3, while James is scheduled to appear before the same court on December 2.

'Heart-breaking' discovery after wedding celebration

Cafe owner Michael Bawol said staff were alerted to the incident after police contacted them on the morning of October 18.

Mr Bawol said: "The day before, we had been celebrating a wedding in that very space.

"To go from a room full of happiness to finding it like that the following morning was heart-breaking."

He added: "We're a small independent café in Keighley.

"We're not swimming in money, and we don't have a huge market around us. Being hit with this is devastating, and we expect to be recovering financially for months."

The café was unable to open on Sunday while forensic officers examined the scene, forcing the cancellation of a number of bookings, including birthday celebrations.

Community support praised

Despite the setback, Mr Bawol said the response from customers and residents had been overwhelming.

"The messages and offers of help have meant so much," he said.

"People have offered practical help, financial contributions and suggested setting up a GoFundMe or something similar.

"We haven't accepted any financial offers, and we don't want this to become a fundraising appeal. I would much rather have a full café than a full account."

The Endless Kettle will reopen on Thursday, October 22.