In the early hours of Monday, March 23, a thief’s ill-fated break-in at The Party Hut, a party supply store on Ambrose Street in Cheltenham, took a slapstick turn that was caught on camera. The burglar smashed the glass front door and clumsily crawled headfirst into the shop, only to get stuck while making a hurried escape.
The CCTV footage, shared by the store on social media, shows the intruder struggling repeatedly to break through the glass door, eventually sliding inside with hands on the floor. After grabbing a cash register from behind the till and causing a chaotic mess, the thief attempts to squeeze back through the shattered door.
However, the opening is just barely large enough to fit both the till and their body. This leads to an awkward 20-second struggle as the burglar tries various positions, awkwardly pulling the cash till and cable in a desperate bid to slip out.
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Despite the clumsiness, the burglar eventually manages to break free with the till and stolen cash. The Party Hut posted the footage online, hoping the public might recognize the suspect and provide information to assist with the police investigation. The break-in has been formally reported to Gloucestershire Police, who confirmed the theft of around £100 from the till between 1:15 and 1:30 am.
The Party Hut mentioned in their post that the shop remains open as usual despite the incident. They also teased upcoming exciting developments, including a bigger space and a fresh new customer experience, promising Cheltenham a thrilling new chapter for the store.
Anyone with information or CCTV footage from the Ambrose Street or New Street area around the time of the burglary is encouraged to contact the police to aid ongoing enquiries.