Tewkesbury thieves wreck business plans

By rjenkins

Tony and Amanda Bell's hopes to build up their new business have been dashed by thieves.

The couple spent two years building up enough stock to sell computer games on a market stall in Tewkesbury.

Tony's aim was to increase the business so that he could give up his main job, at Ashchurch firm Architectonics, and become self employed.

Ultimately, he hoped to have enough money to open a shop.

But his dream was left in tatters when £3,000 worth of games were stolen from the stall.

Normally the couple take them back to their Tewkesbury home each night after a day's trading at the indoor Central Markets site in Evesham.

But at the weekend, they decided to leave the games there overnight.

It is a decision they now regret as someone stole the couple's stock, which they had built up even more after starting the stall eight months ago.

Tony said: "When I saw that everything had been taken, I just felt like giving up.

"But we will have to carry on, particularly as we have to cover the cost of the stock that has been taken.

"It has taken us two years' hard work to get to where we are today in setting up what we hoped would grow into a family business that would expand so that our children could join us later."

The couple live with their four children in Perry Hill.

They are animal lovers and often care for rescued pets, such as cats, dogs and rabbits, in their own detached house.

One of the items stolen, a Wii console, was to be raffled off to raise money for the Animal Aid animal rights group.

Tony wants anyone with information about the theft, which happened on Friday night or Saturday morning, to contact West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000, quoting 201S/311009.

Two men were seen on CCTV leaving the market at around 7am on Saturday, about two hours before Tony discovered the items were missing.

Police hope to issue further information when the footage has been studied in detail.

They believe that most, of the stolen items will be offered for re-sale in the run-up to Christmas.

They have warned people to be wary of offers from unusual sources of new, or almost new, gaming items at greatly reduced prices.