A local pub landlord has blamed himself for the theft of his takings at the weekend.
Dave Smithwick, aged 51, landlord of the Pheasant Inn on Old Road, said: “It was probably my own fault for being so lax.”
But he also believes that the theft was a thought-out attack.
“I think that they must have just heard, in passing, that we were doing well then just hid in the toilets until we closed up, and from there it would have been easy.”
Dave was unable to comment on how much the thieves got away with, though he believes it was “a pretty penny”.
“I did go to the police to report the incident, and they said that they would look into it, but short of interviewing everyone who came into the pub that day or weekend, there’s not really much they can do.”
Since the incident, which has kept the popular landlord up at night with worry, Dave has decided to put improved safety measures into action at the popular drinking hole.
“I have had to train all the staff differently with regards to closing up procedures, and I’ve put all new deadlocks on the doors. The place is like a fortress now!”
Dave, who became the fourth pub owner in the Stone area to earn a much coveted spot in the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Good Beer Guide last year, for the renowned taste of his beloved tipples, said that in the end he just had to “cash it all off”.
But he’s characteristically light-hearted about the whole affair, saying: “I can’t even get into my own pub any more. But then again, I always used to struggled after a good night!”
