A man was caught on camera climbing into a Clerkenwell office block after dark – shortly before a stash of electricals and money was stolen.
The second-floor office at Charterhouse Buildings had been securely locked up for the night at 8pm on January 6 – but when staff returned the following morning at 8.30, they discovered items were missing, including an Apple MacBook, cash and earphones.
Police believe an intruder climbed scaffolding to get in through a window.
James Bentley, the 26-year-old managing director of Student Money Saver, had installed a DIY security system after a previous raid in December.
“When you leave the building, the cameras ‘arm’ themselves,” he told the Gazette, “so when they detect movement, they send a notification through an app on your phone, where you can watch a live feed.
“The cameras also immediately begin recording the video to remote servers. At any point in time, you can also view a live feed from any camera in real time.”
Although they planned eventually to install a burglar alarm, “we needed an affordable way to get CCTV, as well as some sort of alert to a break-in,” he said.
Since he installed the cameras, Mr Bentley has recorded two people entering the office after hours, including one on December 21, the night that burglars made off with 10 Apple Mac Minis, a Macbook Pro and a mobile phone.
Although Mr Bentley received a live feed of that break-in on his phone – while at a house party - he only realised there had been a burglary when he returned to work the following week.
Because the building was being revamped by construction workers, he’d failed to spot anything amiss in the comings and goings.
Police are now investigating whether the burglaries are linked, and appealing for help tracking down the man in the photo and film.
Anyone who recognises him or has other information is asked to call police on 101 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Footage courtesy of James Bentley, managing director of Student Money Saver
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