A popular Ipswich bakery has thanked its customers for helping it reopen after thieves smashed into the building overnight and stole the contents of its till.
The BMC Cakery in Clapgate Lane, which opened in November 2019, was broken into at some point overnight on Friday, January 31, with offenders cutting through padlocks and smashing through the glass door.
More: Police investigating after thieves break into Ipswich bakery
The bakery has now reopened after two days of lost trade - with owner Rachel Halls saying she is worried to leave the shop in case something will happen again.
"It's been pretty rubbish," said the 31-year-old, who has been baking since the age of 13. "Especially as Saturdays are our biggest days."
"Other big shops can reopen quickly but I have lost two days of business and had to find people to help get the window fixed. This shop is my livelihood at the end of the day."
The shop opened late last year following the success of Ms Halls' first cakery in Woodbridge Road, which is known for its sweet treats and huge cookies.
She said she was warned about the street and knew it was a high risk area when she first opened, claiming that an offender tried to gain entry through the back door within the first two weeks.
She said: "I physically can't do any more to deter people, but we are going to invest in a new alarm and we have had people helping to ensure our CCTV covers all areas."
Despite the awful incident, Ms Halls said people have rallied around her and have shown great support for the cakery.
"Everyone has been so kind," she said. "It's made me realise people really appreciate what we do here."
Following the break-in, she moved all her cakes and sweet treats to her Woodbridge Road store on Saturday, advising customers to shop there instead while the Clapgate Lane site got back up and running.
She said the store completely sold out and it was the busiest she had seen it since September last year.
"People have been so supportive, including my members of staff who turned up on their day off to help clean up the mess," she said.
"It is worrying, but I was very lucky as it could have been much worse."
Suffolk police are investigating the incident.
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