How these men tried to steal a Hartlepool bookmaker's safe in a burglary

HARTLEPOOL, County Durham — Cleveland Police are investigating a commercial burglary at a local bookmaker's shop in Hartlepool, where a group of suspects attempted to steal the premises' safe.

The incident, which occurred during the early hours of the morning, involved multiple individuals who managed to force entry into the betting shop. Once inside, the group focused their efforts on locating and removing the office safe containing the venue's cash holdings. However, despite attempting to haul the heavy security unit out of the building, their efforts were thwarted.

The break-in triggered the shop's security alarm system, alerting monitoring services and prompting a swift police response. Faced with the sounding alarms, the burglars were forced to abandon the safe and flee the scene empty-handed before officers arrived.

Detectives are reviewing CCTV footage from the shop and surrounding area, and they are appealing for any witnesses or individuals with dashcam footage near the scene during the early hours of December 11, 2024, to contact them.