Thieves raid homes during jubilee street party bash

Published on 05/07/2012 12:18

THIEVES swooped on homes in two of the Capital’s richest streets while patriotic residents celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

eighbours in the Grange gathered for a party in Tantallon Place, which was closed to traffic, but later found at least five properties were subject of alleged break-ins and attempted break-ins.

Two people have since been charged in connection with the offences.

With the street decorated in bunting, neighbours had flocked not only to give the Queen their royal seal of approval, but to welcome new families to the area.

Resident Lis Brady, 64, said: “People were mingling and there was an open-door policy as the bad weather meant much of the party was inside. It’s chilling to think that while folk were in one person’s sitting room, these guys were trying to rob them.”

One victim, who asked not be named, said: “Police told us that there could have been up to 20 homes targeted over the space of a few days, not just on the day of the street party.

“We were all running back and forth to the house during the party. It wasn’t until the next morning when we noticed that someone had attempted to prise open our front window”

Another homeowner, from Cumin Place, told how he was alerted to the sound of his neighbour’s alarm going off the night before the June 16 party.

He said: “The alarm went off at around 4.30am and I saw a guy running off down the road. Fortunately, he hadn’t got in and nothing was taken.”

Last week, the News revealed that following a spate of break-ins in the Grange, police had warned residents to take their car keys to bed with them.