One man who won’t need reminding of fish and chip insurance is the owner of a business which was attacked in his home.
The man, who no doubt has good fish and chip insurance behind him, was getting ready for bed when two armed attackers stormed his house and forced their way in. The three man gang were wielding snooker cues and the businessman was hit about the head and his wife, also in bed, was threatened.
The gang, unquestionably targeting the businessman because of the reputation for fish and chip shop owners to have large amounts of cash after finishing for the day, demanded over £5,000 and valuables.
It was not clear what sort of fish and chip shop insurance the man possessed, but it should have mitigated against the potentially heavy losses. As it was, the gang ran off with only a TV, a laptop, some mobile phones and under £100 in cash. Items of jewelery were also stolen.
The jurors in the court case heard how the gang threatened to further beat the businessman and his wife with the snooker cues if they didn’t co-operate.
The businessman told the court that the burglars burst through the front door shouting police, but then quickly made their way to the bedroom, preventing the couple from ringing the real police. The gang set upon the businessman in a vicious and unprovoked manner, asking for the money and personal valuables to be given up. They feared for their lives as they were effectively imprisoned in their own bedroom and menaced for their personal property.
In the court hearing, the three assailants denied aggravated burglary.
The incident highlights the problems faced by many fast food restaurants which can take a great deal of cash during a day’s trading and then have to get those takings to a bank, or keep it safe, until it can be deposited at a bank.
And unlike say pizzas shops, or restaurants, much of the takings are in cash; not credit cards, or cheques. This makes staff and owners extremely vulnerable to both opportunistic thieves and criminals who plan their raids. It does not need special skills to watch a fish and chip shop owner lock up for the night and the follow them home, either hoping for a chance to grab the money before its deposited at a bank, or get to it at the person’s home.
Criminals see cash as the great prize, as its untraceable and does not need to be sold on. It’s this attraction that marks out fish and chip owners as easy prey.
A good fish and chip insurance should have clauses which protect against stolen takings and all owners of such businesses, need this type of cover.