Highness Cafe raid: ‘Scumbag’ burglars take £800 and deliberately flood family-run cafe

Flood damage after the raid on Highness Cafe. Picture: Highness Cafe (Image: Archant)

Highness Café and its sister firm Little Highness in Highbury Park were raided last night.

The owners of Little Highness, Ness Goksu and Ebs Basar, were left to mount a hasty clean-up ahead of the weekend after discovering the thieves had used tissue, chopping boards and even a fire extinguisher to block the sinks, and then left the taps running.

They also stole £800 from the two shops’ tills – and helped themselves to a can of coke and a muffin from the fridge.

Ness told the Gazette this morning: “I’m lost for words since I came in. We’ve actually worked too hard for this. I don’t know what to say.”

The raiders blocked sinks on two floors. Picture: Highness Cafe (Image: Archant)

She added she had been forced to cancel all party bookings for the day. “It’s not only about us,” she said. “The kids have been sending out invitations. We’ve got parties booked.”

The pair believe crooks got in by unscrewing security bars at the back of the shop – and then reattaching them.

Ebs said: “We’re not really fussed about the money – it’s just what they’ve done, like leaving the taps running.

“At the end of the day it’s our business, so we’re losing a day’s business and we have to spend the rest of the day sorting out bloody electrics downstairs.

Burglars flooded Little Highness by blocking the sink with a chopping board and fire extinguisher, and leaving the taps on. Picture: Little Highness (Image: Archant)

“And we’ve probably lost loads of goods and stuff.”

She added: “They’re absolute scumbags, whoever’s done this.”

Friends and customers have sent Ness and Ebs dozens of sympathetic messages on Facebook. Supporters of the cafe were quick to condemn the attack on “genuinely the nicest people around”.

Anyone with information about the raid is asked to call police on 101 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.