A Mile End pub owner says he feels it is “a slap in the face” after being burgled two times and losing over a thousand pounds.
The Wentworth Arms in Eric Street has been targeted twice in over a month, with burglaries taking place in the early hours between 3am and 5am.
Faolan Friel, 26, says that a “substantial amount of money” had been taken after the break-ins at the watering hole.
The young pub landlord who has worked there for eight years - managing it for nearly half that time - said it is “really frustrating” as he has had no previous issues in the otherwise “lovely” community.
Police were called to reports of a burglary on August 27, to reports of an alleged burglary the previous evening.
Mr Friel recalled: “He climbed up our balcony of the pub, we live upstairs, and he managed to break in the flat.
“I was in the premises by myself. He manged to break in, go down the bar and rob the till and let himself out again just as I was being alerted.
“He got away with a lot of money, we had to obviously get reinforced doors and locks to make sure it never happened again.”
However, to his surprise, his pub was broken into in the early hours again on September 21.
“He tried doing the same thing again, but the alarm went off and we heard him banging at the door,” Mr Friel explained.
'Increasingly hard to sustain business'
According to the owner, the burglar was armed with a knife the first time and the second time he was armed with a metal pole.
Mr Friel believes that the burglar could be the same person both times.
The Metropolitan Police said officers are assessing whether these incidents are possibly linked.
“We know the individual,” claims Mr Friel, “he’s a well-known house burglar, but that hasn’t’ seemed to aid their investigation somehow.”
He also alleges that prior to the first burglary, there was another run-in when a suspect attempted to “get behind the bar” to steal money during service hours, although he was stopped.
Expressing his disappointment, he said: “It’s really frustrating, I’m not from east London myself but I’ve lived here for 8 years – I’ve got business in this area, and I love this area, but at the moment it’s becoming increasingly hard to sustain the business and live here as an individual.
“We do so much for the local community – and we’re well loved and respected, but for that to happen feels like a slap in the face.”
It is alleged that damages have also been made to the fire escape door of the pub along with a pipe on the wall outside of the pub – which is said to have flooded the female bathroom.
“It’s going to cost money,” he explained.
Since moving to London eight years ago to study at university, Mr Friel has spent a lot of time working at the pub before he eventually took over.
He said: “It’s a lovely little pub, it’s a typical east End pub and full of characters and it’s a fantastic community to be part of. We do feel lucky about things like this.”
“I think the whole community is disheartened.
“They treat the pub as their extension of their own home, it’s where they come to meet their family and friends to have conversations, so it’s personal to them as well.”
“It’s their hard-earned money they put behind the bar.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “On Wednesday, 27 August at 16:31hrs police received a report of burglary alleged to have occurred the previous evening in Eric Street, Mile End.
“Officers made enquiries and continue to investigate the incident. They are assessing whether this incident is linked to other instances of theft at the same location over the past few months.
“Anyone with information that may assist police is asked to call 101, quoting 5295/27AUG25. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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