Man charged after Portsmouth community centre burglary is named by police

A Portsmouth man has been charged following the burglary of the Stacey Centre in Copnor on Tuesday evening.

By Richard Lemmer

Published 2nd Apr 2020, 12:58 BST

Updated 3rd Apr 2020, 18:12 BST

Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Abdul Ali, 30, of Milton Road, is charged with burglary and is due to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court today.

It follows the arrest of two men – both from Portsmouth and aged 39 and 23 – who have now been released under investigation.

Power tools were taken from the Stacey Centre, in Walsall Road, Copnor, at 7pm on Tuesday, March 2.

File photo of police in Portsmouth. Picture: Ian Hargreaves

A police spokesman said: ‘We know that this is a particularly concerning time for our local businesses but we hope this shows you that we are still fighting crime in the city and will take action to help keep our communities safer.

‘We are out on patrol every day and will continue to be throughout this worrying time.’

The Stacey Centre closed on Tuesday, March 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with plans to open at a later date.