Kassia Drayton: CCTV appeal after Indian restaurant in Portsmouth is raided by thieves for the third time

Two masked thugs can be seen ripping a safe from a wall in footage released by targeted Indian restaurant Kassia, in Drayton.

A video timestamp shows the Havant Road venue, which has other branches in Southsea and Clanfield, was burgled at 1.49am on Thursday.

Owner Kaz Miah said it is the third time the restaurant has fallen victim to intruders in three years and fears ‘insider' wrongdoing.

‘When we looked at the CCTV on the first occasion the thief went straight into the safe room, ripped it off the wall, then left,' said Mr Miah, 43.

‘The second time the safe was in a different room. They went straight into that room too.

‘This time around they broke in, went to the old room, then went straight down to the place where the safe was was moved to.

‘These thieves always know exactly where these things are.’

The stolen safe contained a ‘basic float of up to £1,000’ but the total damage to the business is estimated to be as much as £3,000.

Mr Miah said thugs left the restaurant’s bar untouched – meaning it can still trade – but insisted the impact of the crime is far from minor.

He said: ‘My message to these people is simple.

‘You might be in need of a few pennies here and there, but what you are doing is crippling small businesses.

‘Businesses generate areas, they create jobs and they serve local people.

‘All your actions are doing is ruining someone’s livelihood.’

Mr Miah likened the break-in to a 2017 spate in Southsea, which saw small business owners begging police to act after hundreds of burglaries.

Kassia's other branches have both previously been targeted by thieves under similar circumstances.

Mr Miah said: ‘The message we are giving to criminals is that they can do whatever they want and we’re never going to do anything about it.

‘Staff at Drayton had a good Christmas, but all it takes is one thing like this to happen and it puts a downer on everything.’

He added: ‘Some of my businesses just scrape through and when something like this happens, I wonder, is it actually worth the headache?’

Hampshire Constabulary confirmed the burglary on Thursday was reported to police.

A spokesman said: ‘We have received a report of a burglary at Kassia restaurant, which happened sometime between 11pm on December 31 and 4.10pm on January 2.

‘Entry was forced to the restaurant and a safe containing money was stolen.

‘Anyone with information should call 101, quoting 44200001841.’

Watch footage of the raid at the top of this story.